The MOVES Corridors aims to enhance the coverage of charging infrastructure on medium- and long-distance roads.
Following the public consultation period, which lasted from June 28 to July 12, 2024, the sector is awaiting news on its implementation.
According to Pablo Torralbo López, co-founder of Mobility Data Hub, in a statement to Mobility Portal España, “the necessary regulatory details for its implementation are being finalized.”
The Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) is managing the process through the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE).
Pablo Torralbo López (Mobility Data Hub) stated, “It is progressing with a fund allocation envisaged in the budget of 150 million euros,” the expert confirms.
The MOVES Corridors is part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, financed by the European NextGenerationEU funds.
In previous statements to Mobility Portal Spain, industry stakeholders noted that there are currently no updates regarding this initiative.
In this context, Torralbo López confirms:
“The programme is in an advanced stage of preparation and its implementation is expected to start soon, although we must consider the current political uncertainty.”
What does MOVES Corridors aim to resolve?
The initiative aims to address a recurring issue in the industry: the shortage of charging stations in rural areas and shadow zones.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament, which establishes requirements for alternative fuel infrastructure, will serve as the basis for granting subsidies.
These grants will fund the installation of publicly accessible chargers on the state and regional road networks, provided they impact at least two autonomous communities.
In this context, the Rural Decarbonisation Observatory of the Association of Electrical Energy Distributors (CIDE) highlights the importance of improving infrastructure in these regions.
Data from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) indicates that approximately 50 per cent of cars in rural areas are over 15 years old, compared to less than 40 per cent nationally.
This presents an opportunity to drive electrification in these areas and renew the vehicle fleet.
In parallel, private initiatives are also taking steps to improve the charging network.
Galp and BMW Spain have allied to develop a rural electrification programme.
Their goal is to create an initial network of over 100 ultra-fast charging points, with a capacity of up to 180 kilowatts (kW), to be deployed along the main medium- and long-distance corridors across the country.
MITECO is also considering the possibility of tenders or competitions for the development of these infrastructures and the implementation of outreach and communication measures.
And that’s not all.
MOVES may include the design of a renewable electricity credit mechanism in the transport sector, known as e-Credits.
This system would allow charging point operators to generate credits for the clean energy provided.
These could be sold to fuel suppliers to help them meet their sustainability obligations.
Etienne Mingot (STX Commodities) noted that this mechanism could also enhance the return on investment at the charging station and facilitate the financing of new projects without the need for public funds.
The public consultation for e-Credits also ended on July 12.
“The responses are currently being analyzed, but we hope to have updates on its implementation soon,” says Etienne Mingot, Business Development Manager for Electromobility at STX Commodities.
The implementation of this system, expected to start in 2025, will largely depend on the digitalization of the registry and improvements in information flow management.
