To understand the current state of the charging sector in Europe, Mobility Portal Europe talks to Jeroen Jonker, Business Consultant e-Mobility & Energy.
Jonker reveals that “while the infrastructure continues to grow, it is doing so at a slower pace.”
The truth is that, initially, anticipating the future take-off of electromobility, “companies began investing significant sums of money in acquiring sites and charging hardware,” which “was quite aggressive.”
In this regard, the consultant explains that “at first, there was a rapid acceleration, but now it is stabilising.”
Why is this concerning? Because “the rate or pace of deployment is lagging behind the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs)” and users need to be able to charge their cars on the go.
Part of the sector argues that this situation should not cause concern as people can recharge their EVs at home.
However, the fact is that not everyone has this possibility today.
“More and more people may not have their own charger at home. So, they depend on public charging,” Jonker acknowledges.
This situation, the fact that infrastructure is not growing at the pace of electric vehicle adoption, affects not only individual users but also each country in general.
“Europeans like to travel by car, which is easy because there are good motorways. But if there is no access to reliable and plentiful fast chargers, then people will be deterred,” says the consultant.
EV users fear being stranded due to a lack of stations.
“In Spain, one of the largest industries is tourism. And if the country does not step up in terms of network connections and fast charging, people might prefer to holiday in other places where it is easier to charge, like Italy or Germany,” Jonker exemplifies.
Moreover, the shortage of stations makes journeys longer.
“I have been driving electric cars for eight years. Initially, I drove a Tesla and the supercharger network was great because there were many, I never had to wait,” recalls Jeroen.
However, he indicates: “Now—with another vehicle—it is more common to have to wait or to arrive somewhere and find the charger not working or not charging as quickly as expected. Suddenly, your trip becomes 30 minutes longer.”
This is why local governments should think about how to make their countries attractive to electric vehicle drivers, as well as the logistics sector.
As an example, the consultant mentions the creation of a fast-charging network for trucks along federal motorways in Germany, announced on 4th July.
With the Charging Infrastructure Master Plan II, the federal government adopted comprehensive measures for electric trucks to ensure the establishment of stations.
“Such initiatives are useful because one of the biggest challenges for charging point operators (CPOs) is locating suitable places and ensuring sufficient power from the grid at those locations,” he comments.
With this project, Germany is not only providing the locations but also the necessary energy.
“In this way, the process of obtaining the connection is accelerated, which can take years if it has to be done as an individual company,” he adds.
The consultant highlights that, fortunately, there are several local initiatives that provide incentives or stipulate the mandatory deployment of charging points.
This is the case in Spain, where each fuel station must have a minimum number of chargers.
Additionally, another key factor to boost the sector is the fact that CPOs are making significant investments.
“This is why I am not worried. The market will continue and grow, but the pace needs to accelerate,” Jonker reaffirms.
And he continues: “It is said that in the second half of this year, we will come out of the economic valley, and the situation will accelerate again.”
Are tariffs on Chinese EVs necessary?
A few days ago, nine months after the start of an anti-subsidy investigation, the European Commission imposed provisional countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China.
The individual duties applied to the three automakers included in the sample are 17.4% for BYD, 19.9% for Geely, and 37.6% for SAIC.
Regarding this measure, Jonker comments that “it’s okay because it seeks to protect European manufacturers, but protectionism is not good.”
“The simple fact that the Chinese government is apparently subsidising BYD and other brands should not be a reason,” he adds.
In this regard, he acknowledges that European automakers should be given an incentive and “some pressure” to build better cars at a reasonable price.
The truth is that, nowadays, most premium vehicles from Germany cost 20 or 25 percent more than those from other origins.
On the other hand, Jonker recalls when Tesla first arrived in Europe.
“It was not thought to impose a tax on their imports,” he states.
This is why Volkswagen, BMW, and other European firms began to accelerate their electrification programmes, as they noticed that people were buying Teslas instead of their cars.
“It’s normal market pressure to accelerate and strategically develop electric vehicles,” he indicates.
