Skip advert
Advertisement

Europe must spend £17bn on public EV chargers in next decade to hit climate target

Three million electric chargers needed for estimated 44 million EVs by 2030 to become carbon-neutral by 2050, says environmental group

MG ZS EV charge cable

Europe needs to spend £17 billion installing three million public EV charging points in the next decade in order to meet its climate targets, a clean transport think tank has said.

A report from Transport & Environment (T&E) estimates there will be some 44 million electric vehicles in Europe in 2030, by which point the continent will need three million public EV charge points if it is to hit the EU target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. Although the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 January, the Government has made its own commitment for the country to meet the 2050 deadline.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Electric car charging in the UK

At present, Europe has 185,000 public EV charge points, of which roughly 25,000 are in the UK. Although a 15-fold increase to three million chargers sounds like a big leap, T&E claims the yearly spend would only equate to around three per cent of the EU’s annual transport budget.

T&E says the investment must be made in both the public and private sectors, with home and workplace charging prioritised. It adds that between 20 and 30 per cent of the chargers need to be in “disadvantaged and less densely populated areas”.

The think tank hopes the investment will be implemented as part of the European Green Deal - a package of measures set out by the EU to reduce carbon emissions across the continent.

Lexus UX 300e - Electric badge

Lucien Mathieu, e-mobility analyst at T&E, said: “The Green Deal for transport can only happen with zero-emission infrastructure. This means putting money into setting up the network of public chargers, especially at home and at work, and not in building more fossil gas pipelines. So far, the number of charging points has kept pace with demand, but the coming electric surge needs to be supercharged by vastly expanding the charging network.

“The shift to EVs will create a multi-billion-Euro market opportunity for European industry in the grid works and manufacturing, installation and maintenance of public charging. The EU must do everything it can to fight the climate emergency while supporting jobs in Europe.”

Are you looking forward to having more EV chargers? Let us know in the comments below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”
Opinion - MG4
Opinion

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”

The wave of Chinese cars has arrived in the UK, and Mike Rutherford thinks it’s not about to stop any time soon
17 Mar 2024
New Skoda Epiq electric SUV revives the spirit of the Yeti
Skoda Epiq - front
News

New Skoda Epiq electric SUV revives the spirit of the Yeti

The all-electric Skoda Epiq crossover SUV is set to be fully unveiled next year and is likely to cost around £22,000
15 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: brand new, top-spec VW Tiguan SUV for way less than you think
Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line - front tracking
News

Car Deal of the Day: brand new, top-spec VW Tiguan SUV for way less than you think

The all-new third generation of Volkswagen’s smash hit mid-size SUV is our Car Deal of the Day for 14 March
14 Mar 2024