Lack of investment in EV infrastructure in Europe, report suggests

A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) suggests that there is still “serious underinvestment” in electric vehicle recharging infrastructure across Europe.

The report states that only one in three EU member states are providing incentives.

Specific incentives for charging points were found in 10 out of 28 EU countries.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has warned that investments need to be stepped up, as future reductions of CO2 emissions from cars and vans depend on increased sales of electric and other alternatively-powered vehicles.

In the EEA report, it states that “sufficient charging infrastructure is required to give people the confidence that fully electric vehicles will reliably meet their travel needs and help reduce anxiety linked with possible limitations in range”.

According to the ACEA, Directive on Alternative Fuel Infrastructure (DAFI) set clear objectives for the 28 member states already back in 2014, which so far, implementation by national governments has been “poor”.

Erik Jonnaert, secretary general ACEA, said: “Even though all manufacturers are expanding their portfolios of electric cars, we, unfortunately, see that market penetration of these vehicles is quite weak and patchy across the EU.

“Consumers looking for an alternative to diesel often opt for petrol or hybrid vehicles but are not yet making the switch to electrically-chargeable cars on a large scale.

“This new EEA report confirms that a dense EU-wide network of recharging infrastructure is an absolute must if we want consumers throughout the EU to really embrace electric vehicles.”