EU agrees on new regulation to boost electric and hydrogen vehicle infrastructure

This agreement is significant because it will enable the transition to emission-free transport and help achieve the European Union’s goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

On March 28, the European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement to significantly increase the number of publicly accessible electric charging and hydrogen filling stations along major transport corridors and hubs.

The new Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) sets mandatory implementation targets for electric charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure in the road sector, shore power supply in sea and inland waterway ports and power supply for stationary aircraft. By making a minimum infrastructure for electric charging and hydrogen refueling available across the EU, this regulation will allay consumer concerns about the difficulty of charging or refueling a vehicle. AFIR also paves the way for a user-friendly charging and topping-up experience, with full price transparency, the ability to make payments with widely used methods and consistent customer information across the EU.

Road transport, shipping and aviation infrastructure

The young ones AFIR regulations will ensure sufficient and user-friendly alternative fuel infrastructure for road transport, shipping and aviation. This will enable the use of zero-emission vehicles such as electric and hydrogen light and heavy duty vehicles, as well as the power supply of anchored ships and stationary aircraft. Specifically, the following key implementation targets will have to be achieved in 2025 or 2030:

1. for car and van charging infrastructure must grow at the same rate as the respective fleet. To this end, every battery electric vehicle registered in a given Member State must be provided with a publicly available charging infrastructure with an output power of 1.3 kW. In addition, starting from 2025, fast charging stations (with a capacity of at least 150 kW) must be installed every 60 km along the entire European transport (TEN-T) network;
2. charging stations for heavy-duty vehicles, with a minimum capacity of 350 kW, should be deployed every 60 km in the TEN-T core network and every 100 km in the wider TEN-T comprehensive network from 2025, with full network coverage by 2030. In addition, charging stations should be installed in safe parking areas for night charging, as well as in city nodes for delivery vehicles;
3. from 2030 in all city nodes and every 200 km in the TEN-T core network must be implemented hydrogen filling infrastructurewhich can serve both cars and trucks, providing a dense enough network for hydrogen vehicles to travel across the EU;
4. sea ​​ports, in which at least 50 large passenger ships or 100 container ships dock, by 2030 shore-side electricity must be provided for such ships. This will not only help reduce the carbon footprint of maritime transport, but will also significantly reduce local air pollution in port areas;
5. airports by 2025, all contact stands (gates) must provide electricity for parked aircraft, and by 2030 – in all remote stands;
6. for operators of electric charging and hydrogen filling stations full price transparency should be ensured, widely used should be offered to this payment method, such as debit or credit card, and relevant data, such as location, should be made available by electronic means, ensuring that the customer is fully informed.

The transition to zero-emission mobility requires the right infrastructure, ready for you whenever and wherever you need it. We want every driver in Europe to be confident that they can safely travel across the continent with their electric car or any other type of vehicle. With this agreement, we ensure that sufficient and user-friendly options are available across Europe for both passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles.

Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal

The agreement reached today is a step forward towards the decarbonisation of mobility in Europe. The agreement will ensure that citizens and transport and logistics companies alike can rely on a strong network of charging and refueling infrastructure on our roads, in our ports and airports across the European Union. In many of these technologies, Europe has a technological lead, and such investments will also help create jobs in Europe.

Transport Commissioner Adina Veleana

Further action

The political agreement reached must now be formally adopted. Once the European Parliament and the Council have completed this process, the new rules will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force after a 6-month transitional period.