During the MUBIL Mobility Expo event in San Sebastián, in which Mobility Portal Europe was present, Adrien Castagnié, Managing Director Iberia at ChargeGuru, discussed the challenges facing the sector in Europe, with particular emphasis on the reduction of electromobility incentives.
“For example, in Germany, at the end of last year, electric vehicle (EV) sales declined with the withdrawal of subsidies“, Castagnié recalls.
He continues, “This demonstrates that we are still in a sector where we rely heavily on support“.
The managing director highlights that, unlike France, Spain does not yet have subsidies for the direct purchase of EVs.
However, it has a significant advantage over other European countries thanks to the Moves Plan.
It is worth noting that this plan involves the implementation of incentive programs linked to electric mobility, specifically for the purchase of zero-emission cars and the deployment of necessary charging infrastructure.
Initially, the Moves Plan was endowed with a budget of 400 million euros and later expanded to 1.2 billion, of which 876 million have already been transferred to the autonomous communities, responsible for their final distribution.
So far, the program has been extended three times consecutively, and stakeholders are awaiting the announcement of a fourth edition.
Regarding France, Castagnié notes: “As of today, we have 800 open applications that are not paid, some of which date back to 2022. So, we have to manage 17 different processes for each community.”
Secondly, he points out that despite the French having tax benefits for large corporations, such as tax exemptions, the law is not followed when it comes to renewing fleets and including electric vehicles.
“The law is not enforced because there is no enforcement regime. So, now it is being discussed among lawmakers so that it can be applied to companies that do not comply with the legislation,” comments the representative from ChargeGuru.
It is worth mentioning that registrations from the corporate sector constitute a proportion of over 50 per cent of the total, hence playing a crucial role as the main supplier of new vehicles.
Therefore, on April 9, members of the national parliament convened in the Sustainable Development Committee to discuss the bill presented by legislator Damien Adam, which aims to promote the transition to corporate fleets that are more environmentally friendly.
This statute entails imposing on companies the incorporation of 20 per cent electric cars by 2024, 40 per cent by 2026, 65 per cent by 2028, and 95 per cent by 2030.
Furthermore, it proposes fines of up to one percent of their total revenue for firms that do not comply with the mandate.
Additionally, legislator Adam highlights the exclusion of plug-in hybrids from these figures, intending to achieve the target of zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.
Initially, lawmakers voted in favor of the decree. However, several modifications have been added to the text.
Finally, regarding infrastructure, ChargeGuru acknowledges that the process of installing public chargers slows down the adoption of electric mobility.
“Even though we have a royal decree, accompanied by a responsible declaration indicating the validity to install charging points, the reality is that there are municipalities that state that until they approve it and the initiation fee is paid, the installation cannot take place“, reveals Castagnié.
About ChargeGuru
The company, based in Ile de France and founded in 2018, is responsible for deploying electric vehicle charging solutions for individuals and businesses.
ChargeGuru is backed by major automotive groups: from vehicle manufacturers and charger manufacturers to mobility service operators.
Some of them include Tesla, Porsche, Wallbox, Schneider Electric, Shell Recharge Solutions, Circontrol, among others.
They are also active in several European countries, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with local presence and teams in each market.
