During the “International e-Mobility Summit 2023” organized by Mobility Portal, Saki Gerassis, Policy and Data Officer at the European Commission in the DG MOVE (Mobility and Transport) in the Unit for Sustainable and Intelligent Transport, discusses the future of charging infrastructure.
Gerassis states, “From the European Commission, we are trying to reach an agreement with the United States, in this case, for the recognition of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). Therefore, we can affirm that in the future the charging infrastructure in the USA and the EU will be based on the same technical specifications.”
He adds, “We are certain that in both the United States and Europe truck manufacturers and charging point providers will use the same connector. This way, we can start interoperating technologies. This is the way forward.”
Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that for Gerassis, the MCS “will be a success story” for heavy-duty vehicles.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that while some car manufacturers in North America have announced a switch from the CCS connector to the Tesla NACS, this discussion is not yet being taken into account in Europe.
In relation to this Gerassis comments, “We have developed a common understanding, and there is an industry agreement regarding the use of CCS. We have noticed that major companies, such as Tesla, have adopted this connector in Europe.”
Moreover, European regulations stipulate that all public charging points must have at least one CCS connector.
“This way, any citizen interested in buying an electric vehicle will know they can charge it,” he states.
And he clarifies, “We support the idea of a common standard, but we are evaluating and analyzing how different regions will adapt and develop. We will continue monitoring the situation.”
Regarding the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation
During the event, Gerassis refers to the new Regulation for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR).
This political agreement, reached on March 28, still needs to be formally adopted.
Once this process is completed by the European Parliament and the Council, the new rules will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force after a transitional period of six months.
The AFIR aims to increase the number of accessible electric charging and hydrogen refueling points to the public, especially along the main corridors of the European Union.
To achieve this, the regulation includes mandatory deployment targets.
“We established them to ensure that in the coming years, we will have a sufficient minimum infrastructure. The role of the legislator is to ensure that a necessary minimum exists, and the market should take over,” acknowledges Gerassis.
“By the end of this decade, there will be a fairly comprehensive network. Deployment will accelerate,” he adds.
In summary, this political agreement focuses on three main aspects.
“It will seek to ensure that we have a sufficient number of chargers to drive market development and improve the user experience by establishing requirements in terms of payment services, data quality, and reliability. It will also consider standardization,” explains Gerassis.
The AFIR paves the way for easy charging with transparent pricing, common minimum payment options, and coherent information available to customers throughout the EU.
The participation of Saki Gerassis during the second day of the “International e-Mobility Summit 2023,” titled “Charging Infrastructure Europe Day”:
