Not enough charging points for electric cars in EU: ACEA

Electric car charging stations have not kept pace with the increasing number of electric cars on the road, European automakers said on Monday.

A report by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said electric vehicle (EV) sales had grown three times faster than the number of EV charging points installed in its 27 nations since 2017.

ACEA said the European Union will need 8.8 million charging by 2030, which would mean installing 22,000 points every week — eight times the current rate. 

The European Commission, however, estimates that the bloc will need 3.5 million charging points by 2030.

The report added that EV infrastructure was key in motivating more people to buy electric cars, all of which is vital in achieving the EU target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

Electric car infrastructure important to achieve EU climate goals

The European Climate Law adopted in 2021 legally obliges member states to collectively slash greenhouse emissions by at least 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels.

Climate neutrality by 2050 means achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions for the EU as a whole.

"We need mass-market adoption of electric cars in all EU countries to achieve Europe's ambitious CO2-reduction targets," said Sigrid de Vrie, Director General at ACEA, in a press release.

"This will not happen without widespread availability of public charging infrastructure right across the region," she added.

Edited by: John Silk