EU Reaches Deal to Roll Out Car Charging Points Across Bloc

By Bloomberg

Mar 28, 2023

image is BloomburgMedia_RS7VYYDWLU6801_28-03-2023_09-00-08_638155584000000000.jpg

A Seat Cupra Born electric vehicle (EV) at a charging station in the parking lot of a train station in Wolfsburg, Germany, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Volkswagen AG (VW) wants to remain a strong player in Europe and China, but in the face of growing geopolitical tensions and an increasingly complex regulatory environment, the German carmaker is looking beyond the US for markets with growth potential.

(Bloomberg) -- European Union negotiators agreed to roll out electric and hydrogen charging points across the region over the next few years in a bid to help spur the transition away from the combustion engine.

The European Parliament and member states reached a late-night deal to put in place electric charging stations for cars at least every 60 kilometers (37 miles) on key roads by 2026, and for trucks at 120km intervals — half of which should be in place by 2028. By 2031, hydrogen refueling stations should be deployed at least every 200km.

The deal comes the same week as a landmark agreement was reached to make sure all new cars sold in the EU are emissions-free by 2035. A lack of charging infrastructure is seen as one of the main factors holding back that transition, with drivers citing a lack of range.

The new rules will “ensure that driving and charging a new generation car is as simple and convenient as one that depends on petrol,” said Ismail Ertug, the lawmaker responsible for the negotiations. “We have to decarbonize the transport sector, which is still responsible for a huge bulk of emissions.”

The EU also wants to make sure 90% of heavy-duty vehicles have zero emissions by 2040.

By John Ainger