This summer, Belgium has 100,000 public charging points in the country, possibly providing energy for over 380,000 fully electric cars and 270,000 PHEVs driving on Belgian roads. This puts Belgium in third place across Europe when looking at the availability of charging points per inhabitant.
Belgium now has 7.6 charging points per 1,000 inhabitants; only the Netherlands (11 points per 1000 inhabitants) and Denmark (7.7 points) perform better in the EU.
Bigger countries, such as France or Germany (both have around two charging points per 1,000 inhabitants), are performing much worse. Nevertheless, this summer, Europe also surpassed the 1,000,000 charging point mark.
In Belgium, there are substantial regional differences. Currently, Flanders accounts for 77,000 of all public charging points, while Wallonia has only around 13,000, and the Brussels region has almost 10,000.
“Reaching the 100,000 units target is certainly not an ending point, but it proves that collaboration works,” says Philippe Vangeel, director at EV Belgium. This federation aims to coordinate all efforts toward achieving zero-emission mobility by linking all providers of mobility and mobility services to electric vehicle users.
Tipping point
“Just like the smartphone a while ago, this is a tipping point where the fully electric car can become a mainstream product,” he added. He sees range anxiety as a problem of the past, thanks to the ever-increasing performance of new electric vehicles and the broadening of the electric offer. “The confidence of the consumer is growing, and electric mobility is no longer a niche product.”
He points out that this impressive progress is also due to EU regulations like AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation) and EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive), which regulate minimum requirements for charging points and their user-friendlyness (transparency in pricing, the right to install charging points, interoperability of charging networks, etc.).
The road to 2030
Despite this success, EV Belgium warns that the road to 2030 remains an impressive challenge. According to the federation’s estimations, the number of charging points in Belgium still needs to grow to 220,000 over the next five years.
This implies significant investments and increased collaboration among all stakeholders in the field. Ultimately, it can even contribute to solving energy problems by helping to regulate energy networks through smart and bi-directional charging (V2G).
Belgium also needs to close the gap in terms of electrifying LCVs (light commercial vehicles), heavier transport, and individual buyers. EV Belgium sees a tax shift on energy use as one of the solutions.
“Belgium has the infrastructure, now is the time for accompanying policies,” says VUB professor Joeri Van Mierlo, head of the MOBI research center. “When we increase taxes on fossil fuels slightly, we create room to lower the electricity price. This is not an increase in taxes; it’s a shift toward a more honest and future-oriented policy. It’s a choice for sustainable mobility, economic resilience, and social justice.”
“The future of electric mobility in Belgium is clear,” concludes Vangeel. “The step we took now is the ultimate proof that the target can be reached. It’s an ambitious challenge, but with the same drive and cooperation, we will succeed. This is only the beginning.”
