Car industry complains about sluggish expansion of charging infrastructure
The car manufacturers' association complains that the charging infrastructure cannot keep up with the sales figures for e-cars and is calling for more speed.
More than 22 kW is defined as a fast charging point. Not every e-car driver is likely to agree with this, as some models - such as this Hyundai Ioniq 5 - can offer significantly higher charging capacities than the 50 kW still installed in many places.
(Bild: Christoph M. Schwarzer)
Even though the number of electric car registrations in Germany was recently slightly below the previous year's figures, their number is increasing in Europe. Between 2017 and 2023, their overall share grew three times faster than the number of newly installed charging stations, argues the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). There is an alarming gap between the number of public charging stations needed and the number available in the future.
Different demand analyses
The association provides figures to back up its fears. At the end of 2023, the ACEA reports that there were 632,423 public charging stations across the EU and around 3 million battery electric vehicles on the road. Last year, 153,000 new charging stations were added. The association considers this to be far too few. The ACEA sees a need for 8.8 million charging points by 2030. The European Commission is calling for a total of "only" 3.5 million charging points by 2030 to implement the drive transition as planned. At the end of 2023, there would be 29 battery electric vehicles for every fast charging point, according to the ACEA.
Uneven distribution of charging points
There is also an extreme imbalance in the distribution of charging points within the EU. Around 61 percent of the public charging infrastructure is located in France, the Netherlands, and Germany. The remaining 39 percent is spread across 80 percent of the EU, the association argues. The EU Court of Auditors had already criticized this fact in April. However, there is also a correlation: where the most electric cars are sold in the EU, the number of charging points is also growing faster than in other areas.
Fast charging – the exception
The charging capacity available in many places is also severely criticized by the ACEA. Charging points with more than 22 kW make up only a fraction of the newly installed points, it said. Only around one in seven charging points offer more than 22 kW. Not every driver is likely to equate more than 22 kW with fast charging. DC charging points with 50 kW can still be found in many places. Measured against the consumption values that we repeatedly observe in tests on the highway, this would mean that many electric cars could recharge enough energy for around 200 to 250 km in around an hour.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry is calling for national governments to swiftly implement the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and invest more in the charging infrastructure than they have so far. The expansion of charging options is key to the decarbonization of road transport. Otherwise, the CO₂ reduction targets in the transport sector cannot be achieved.
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(mfz)