The European Parliament took a final decision on Tuesday: from 2026, the main European highways must be equipped with fast-charging stations for electric vehicles every 60 kilometers. From 2028, this should apply to half of the European road network.

Those charging stations must have a capacity of at least 400 kW and be able to generate at least 600 kW from 2028. Until now, 350 kW is the theoretical maximum power at fast-chargers deployed so far. From 2031, there will be charging stations every 60 km for trucks. Hydrogen filling stations will also be available by then every 200 km along the main highways.

Mass adoption of e-cars

According to Kathleen Van Brempt (Party of European Socialists), a Member of the European Parliament, who co-approved the political agreement on new rules for alternative fuels infrastructure, drivers of electric cars should be able to charge their vehicles anywhere in the European Union.

The new legislation should help to remove the existing barriers to the mass adoption of electric cars. A crucial point will be the mandatory unification of the payment system at chargers, enabling to use of a common bank or credit card with a clear indication of the price to be paid.

One of those barriers is the lack of sufficient charging infrastructure today and the high purchase prices of electric cars. That is why Van Brempt wants the sector to launch more affordable electric cars.

Several studies show that when taking into account all costs associated with an EV (Total Cost of Ownership), electric cars are already cheaper than most cars with combustion engine, except for the smallest city cars.

Transparency

Today, Flanders already has more than 25 000 charging points; by 2025, there should be 35 000. “A positive trend,” Van Brempt says. However, Flanders will have to ensure that all that infrastructure will be accessible for any vehicle and that the price for charging is correct and transparent. “And you must always be able to pay with your bank card at publicly accessible charging stations,” Van Brempt added.

The European Commission has been asked to set up a database to inform consumers about alternative fuels and the availability, waiting time, and price at different stations. The Netherlands is one of the forerunners regarding charging infrastructure. The country recently passed the milestone of 500 000 charging stations.