Report says EU must invest €20 billion in infrastructure for EV’s by 2030
According to a new report by green campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E), if the EU is to meet its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2030, it needs a fifteen-fold increase in the number of charging points for electric vehicles in the next few years.
The EU aims to move towards zero-emissions vehicles by 2030, and has made plans to revise CO2 standards as part of a new Green Deal. This deal also focuses on other types of transport and reducing emissions across the sector.
The report says that, in order to sustain the planned rise in the number of electric vehicles – the EU is planning for around 44 million electric vehicles to be on the road by 2030 – there needs to be around 3 million charging points available. At the moment there are 185,000.
It also notes that, since many future electric vehicle owners won’t have access to private parking, more users will have to rely on public charging. Because of this, it’s crucial that the EU invests in this infrastructure.
Author of the report, Lucien Mathieu, e-mobility analyst at T&E, said, “The European Commission talks about 1 million public chargers for 2025 while we calculate 3 million in 2030 and 1.2-1.3 million in 2025 depending on the scenario. The Commission’s estimate for the number of public chargers is on the conservative side.”
A spokesperson for ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association added, “A dense EU-wide network of charging points and re-fuelling stations must urgently be deployed. This is one of the most important enabling conditions for achieving carbon neutrality. Everyone must have the option to recharge or re-fuel their vehicle easily, no matter where they live or where they want to travel to”.
To finance the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicle charge points, T&E estimates that the EU will need to spend €20 billion in the next 11 years, which works out to €1.8 billion a year on average. It will also need to ensure charge points are available in less densely populated areas, in workplaces, and for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
