According to a study by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, the number of charging stations in Europe is largely insufficient. There is an urgent need to accelerate the pace to cope with the growing number of electric cars on the road.
The year 2035 is still far away, but it is inexorably approaching. This is not an insignificant date since it marks the end of sales of thermal vehicles in Europe. A complex affair which has experienced several twists and turns despite the absence of opposition from automobile manufacturers. To achieve this, there is no secret: you must promote the mass adoption of electric cars. In France, things are on track since the country has passed the milestone of 1 million “wattures” in circulation.
Our European neighbors are not left out. Between 2017 and 2023, sales of such vehicles increased 18-fold. An encouraging figure which hides a more problematic reality, namely thatthere are not enough charging stations on the Old Continent to meet increasingly strong demand. According to a report from ACEA, the association of European automobile manufacturers, their number increased 3 times slower than that of electric cars sold. Things won’t get better if nothing is done quickly.
To keep up with the increase in the number of electric vehicles in Europe, many more charging stations are needed
“We are very concerned that infrastructure deployment has not kept pace with battery electric car sales in recent years. What’s more, this “infrastructure gap” is likely to widen in the future – much more than the European Commission estimates.“, worries Sigrid de Vries, general director of ACEA. She recalls thatthe Commission expects 3.5 million charging stations in Europe by 2030. But 8.8 million would be needed for the association.
Read also – The end of thermal cars in Europe could be very expensive according to this report, in every sense of the word
To achieve this, there should therefore be 1.2 million more per year. Knowing that there were only 150,000 new ones in 2023, we understand why the report is alarming. ACEA believes that the Commission underestimates the needs. It would be based on a average consumption too low, while forgetting to include hybrids or electric utility vehicles which also need to recharge their batteries. Sigrid de Vries calls on Europe to react urgently if it wants to keep its commitments in terms of road decarbonization.