European Commission shifts gears to support e-mobility infrastructure

The European Commission looks set to support the growth in electric vehicles (EVs) and charging points by making it easier to build power connections from chargers to grids, and by giving such projects priority writes Vic Wyman.

The idea was floated in the Commission’s action plan for the automotive sector, unveiled on 5 March 2025, along with ideas for boosting the EU battery sector to meet expected demand from EV makers.

For the EU, the automotive sector needs to thrive — “It accounts for €1 trillion in GDP, a third of private research and development investment in the EU and it provides direct and indirect employment to 13 million Europeans,” said the action plan.

The plan also claimed that the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) has effectively and efficiently supported the building of recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. €570 million has been allocated for projects in 2025 and 2026, focusing on heavy-duty vehicles.

And in its Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, to be adopted this year, the Commission will remove barriers to financing for recharging infrastructure, according to the action plan.

Chris Heron, the secretary general of the E-Mobility Europe trade association, told Enlit that he was cautiously optimistic that the EV battery and charger market could fulfil its promise. He claimed that there were already enough public chargers for EVs on the roads, with 26 of the 27 EU countries having met the EU’s targets: “The idea that we don’t have enough charging is nonsense.” He also welcomed the possible prioritisation of grid connections for chargers.

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However, Jaap Burger, senior adviser and consultant at the Regulatory Assistance Project, said: “One of the key features of smart chargers is dynamic pricing.” And although there has been a four-fold increase in smart electricity tariffs and services from 2022 to 2025, they are spread patchily around Europe because of the variation in markets and regulatory frameworks for distribution system operators. “This is one of the key barriers that we could and should be addressing.”

Aleksandra Klenke, policy officer for sustainable and intelligent transport at the European Commission’s transport and tourism directorate DG Move, said that the commission would publish a new standard for smart and bidirectional charging within a few weeks.

Charging trickle

However, the projected growth in EVs could be hit by difficulties building enough public chargers, particularly the expensive bidirectional versions able to also return power to the grid to help grid balancing, and connecting them to the grid.

The European Commission has a target of 3.5 million chargers by 2030 — 450,000 chargers installed each year, or 8,600 a week, said a new smart charging study by the Eurelectric federation representing more than 3500 European power generation, distribution and supply utilities and the consultancy EY. Currently, said Serge Colle, EY’s global power and utilities sector leader: “The picture is mixed.”

The plan faces tax and regulation barriers, a lack of suitable sites, lengthy approvals processes and the difficulties and costs of linking chargers to electricity supplies.

V2G chargers are five to 10 times dearer than unidirectional chargers and most are direct current devices rather than cheaper alternating current (AC) chargers. “While AC V2G-capable chargers have recently been launched, they are only compatible with EV models equipped with onboard V2G chargers,” said Eurelectric/EY.

Decisions would also be needed on the chargers to be fitted. For example, Steffen Schaefer, head of future cities and mobility at the engineering firm AFRY, said that a 100kW charger with intelligent control could be suitable for a 10 hour charge of an EV, but that installing more-expensive 200kW chargers could provide faster charging, which could be more viable for commercial vehicle owners.

Also, 42% of European drivers live in cities with no access to home charging points and their cars are not always plugged in for long enough for battery capacity to be discharged to the grid, said the report. The drivers, often poorer citizens, could be deterred from buying EVs by having to use more expensive public chargers.

Although many drivers worry about EVs running out of juice, few use their cars for much more than popping to the shops, with on average cars parked for 23 hours a day. But persuading people to buy EVs requires convenience for drivers, their trust in the charging system and financial incentives, said Tadhg O’Briain, a deputy head of unit in the EU’s energy directorate DG Ener.

He said that the European Commission would consider legislation to ensure that those are in place. Price transparency and controls on data sharing are essential, said Nazim Khiari, policy adviser at the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER).

The European Commission also takes into account the large used-car market: “Depending on the country, 75—90% of EU consumers buy only second-hand vehicles.” Although many drivers worry about battery health and repairability, studies suggest that smart charging and bidirectional charging could extend battery life.

The dream of quickly swappable EV batteries that could ease drivers’ fears about batteries going flat and allow more efficient operation of public charging stations are likely to remain a dream at least for now. Jaap Burger, senior advisor and consultant at the Regulatory Assistance Project, told Enlit Media that in seven out of 10 EVs in Europe are based on the same platform with the battery forming a structural element that is not easily removable.

Commission critical

The Commission also warns of the limited competitiveness in zero-emission vehicle technology and production capabilities compared with rival regions, and expensive batteries and other critical components: “Batteries, which account for 30-40% of value-added of a typical electric passenger car, are a critical battleground for future employment and value creation. Europe needs a cost-competitive domestic cell production and supply chain, also with a view to preparing against supply shocks and crises and protecting economic sovereignty.”

For example, it wants EU production of anode and cathode active materials and precursors, cells, and other battery parts. “This also requires investments of European players in battery material mining and refining operations in Europe or overseas. The objective for 2030 is to achieve a European added value of more than 50% along the value chain,” said the action plan.

Therefore, the Commission has already announced up to €3 billion from an Innovation Fund for EV battery manufacturing, with a first €1 billion call on 3 December 2024. There is also a €200 million top-up to support innovative battery projects by enabling additional European Investment Bank venture debt in 2025-27.

The Commission also promised €1.8 billion in the next two years for EU battery-makers EU from the Innovation Fund. “The Commission will look into possibilities for financing ramping up of European production lines in this context,” said the action plan.

Also in the pipeline is possible direct production support for EU battery-makers combined with state aid, as part of a wider EU review of the latter.

As the European Commission’s transport and tourism commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told Eurelectric’s recent EVision conference on regulation, investors need regulatory stability and “buyers certainty”.

And drivers need convincing. As DG Ener’s O’Briain said at EVision, consumers have traditionally served the energy system, but in future the energy system can serve consumers.

Originally published on Enlit World.