According to the latest data from the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility (AEDIVE), Spain already has more than 37,000 public chargers, compared to more than 12,000 traditional gas stations.
In this context, experts point out that the number of electric cars in circulation is not keeping pace, which poses a paradox for the sector.
According to Rubén Valiente, founder of Wattson, the sector faces a “chicken and egg problem.”
“It is not true that there is a lack of ‘refuelling’ points, what is lacking is an adequate number of electric vehicles,” he told Mobility Portal España.
According to the specialist, with a ratio of “20 times more chargers than fuel dispensers”, the structure seems oversized compared to real demand.
“There are around 10 electric cars per charger,” estimates Valiente, while at gas stations there is a ratio of 200 internal combustion vehicles per dispenser.
This poses a profitability issue for CPOs, as current utilization of these chargers is low.
Wattson’s founder points out that the average use of public equipment is just 5% per day, meaning that on average, “a charger is only busy one hour out of every 24.”
Another issue is the loading speed.
Although the infrastructure of “refueling” points has grown in number, 69% of them are equal to or greater than 22 kW.
Valiente emphasises that the real shortage lies in the fast or ultra-fast ones, those that offer more than 150 kW of power, and which currently represent 35% of the total.
The lack of fast chargers is largely due to limited grid power in certain areas, a crucial aspect that requires investment in electrical infrastructure.
At this point, Joel Martín, Business Development Specialist at VEGA Chargers, adds: “All the autonomous communities have thousands of charging points of all types and power levels.”
“The number of ultra-fast stations (over 250 kW) and super-fast stations (over 150 kW) is increasing significantly, serving our highway and expressway system,” he says.
In this sense, he stresses that “there are no more excuses” for switching to electric cars.
What is needed to increase the number of electric vehicles?
Despite improvements in infrastructure, the fleet of electric vehicles remains limited.
According to data from AEDIVE and GANVAM, in September 2024, registrations of electrified vehicles in Spain increased by 9.3%, with 92,969 units so far this year.
Growth is still insufficient to sustain a recharge structure that continues to expand rapidly.
For example, sales of 100% electric cars, although up 32% in the ninth month of 2024, only reached 49,970 units for the entire year.
Arturo Pérez de Lucía González, General Manager of AEDIVE, states that the perception that “there are no charging points” is incorrect and that in reality “there are few electric cars for so many plugs”.
It also highlights the efforts of the CPOs, who have implemented more than 1,000 new “refueling” points each month in 2024, despite facing administrative barriers and limitations of the electricity distribution network.
To close this gap, efforts are focused on encouraging the purchase of electric vehicles, facilitating access to incentives such as the Moves Plan and the aid offered by some brands.
In addition, the recent support from the European Commission places Spain as the sixth country in the deployment of charging points in the European Union, which supports the optimistic outlook of the industry to solve the current problems.
The situation poses a significant challenge for the Government and the industry: balancing the growth of charging infrastructure with a policy that effectively incentivizes the adoption of electric vehicles.
