Electric mobility: the current status of charging points in Europe – Part 1.

There’s no question that development over the last year alone has clearly shown that electric mobility in vehicles is advancing in fits and starts rather than at a steady pace. Undoubtedly, unforeseen crises such as the war in Ukraine could derail any development. But this particular conflict also has a significant effect on Germany’s energy supply. There will certainly be radical changes, not only to reduce dependence on Russian gas and oil. But even if liquefied gas from Qatar and other countries covers part of the supply, it will be nearly impossible to avoid giving electricity generation far more attention than originally planned. Opponents of electric mobility have long argued that if all the electrification goals for private and public transport were realised, electricity supply and distribution would face overwhelming difficulties.

But let’s take a look at a much more practical and immediate aspect of electric mobility. What is the situation regarding the supply to charging stations, increasingly in demand? The EU is striving to have 30 million electrically powered vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. Some countries have already scheduled bans on the production and approval of combustion-engine vehicles with a similar deadline. New emissions standards are being introduced along with regulations such as those affecting construction. These concern the necessary pre-wiring for potential charging points. All new residential buildings with more than ten parking spaces for cars must be equipped with charging stations. In commercial buildings, no less than one in five parking spaces will need to be fitted with EVSE. Despite these measures, most EV drivers will still need to rely on publicly accessible charging stations. Home charging is virtually impossible in most existing apartment blocks. Buildings with underground garages, highly suitable for EV retrofits, are few and far between, especially in urban areas (to be continued).