Only 20% of passenger car charging is done using public chargers, the rest is done using private chargers at home or at work. As such, the deployment of infrastructure should tackle both the facility to charge publicly and privately in order to provide market certainty and long term stability. This Platform for Electro-mobility brief sets several recommendations for the deployment of infrastructure in the EU.

Member States must push for the prioritisation of electro-mobility over other ‘alternative fuels’ as the sustainable and future-proof solution to clean mobility, pointing out that while most countries have adopted this idea, some exceptions remain, notably Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The development of private charging at normal or slow speeds should be encouraged, since the private availability of charging points is both the easiest and cheapest charging method. An inadequate accessibility to private charging would present a significant barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles.

Homogeneous geographical coverage of fast charging infrastructure is essential on both the TEN-T Core and Comprehensive networks to avoid recharging gaps. This recommendation addresses the common anxiety expressed by many would-be EV users regarding range. In addition to this, interoperability and standardisation is needed to create a seamless EU market for electro-mobility.

Member States are also called upon to speed up the deployment of infrastructure for public transport, which is inadequately mentioned in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, despite the expectation of mandatory procurement targets of from the upcoming recast of the Clean Vehicles Directive.

In line with this, the recommendations expect urban areas to push for the procurement of electric transport systems and city logistics to create a market for the industry. Cities should also ensure a minimum coverage of public charging points, as well as encouraging the deployment of smart charging and ducting infrastructure in publicly accessible buildings and in new and renovated private buildings.

The full paper is accessible here.

Bellona is a founding member of the Platform for Electro-Mobility, which unites 32 organisations from across civil society, industries, and all transport modes in their commitment to accelerate electro-mobility uptake across Europe.