After three years of experimenting with solutions for electric charging, the cities in our EU-funded User-Chi project discovered important points for European, national and local policy that are necessary in order to facilitate massive adoption of charging infrastructure across Europe’s cities. You can read the full policy brief here.
Key recommendations for EU policy makers
EU policymakers are advised to enforce coherent regulations across various areas impacting the electric vehicle market, such as vehicle and battery size limitations, electrification of corporate fleets, emissions from tyres and brakes, and sales regulations for combustion engine vehicles. Upholding existing CO2 standards for cars and vans is crucial for the new European Commission to maintain investor confidence and ensure equitable access to the electric vehicle market.
Future regulations should promote shared mobility solutions and integrate multimodal aspects, addressing the lack of specific provisions in current infrastructure deployment rules. Reducing bureaucratic hurdles by harmonising permitting and administrative procedures across the EU can significantly aid member states and local authorities.
Key recommendations for national authorities
National authorities should establish consultation frameworks involving regional and local authorities, transport and energy sector stakeholders, and the public to inform the development of national policy frameworks. Cooperation with neighbouring countries is essential to ensure a cross-border, interoperable, and reliable charging network.
A decentralised approach to implementing national ‘fleet-based’ charging targets will support balanced infrastructure deployment, aligning with local demand. Public financial support should address market failures where private investment is lacking. Ambitious goals should be pursued, such as deploying fast-charging hubs every 60 km along main roads by 2025.
Maintaining the stability of electricity production at national level is vital to support the growing electric vehicle demand. National legislation should not hinder the implementation of smart charging on public networks, and the benefits of smart and bidirectional charging for electricity system flexibility should be embraced.
Key recommendations for local authorities
Local authorities should act as steering entities, ensuring the deployment of sufficient, future-proof, and accessible charging infrastructure. Integrating this deployment into sustainable urban mobility plans will help achieve sustainable mobility targets. Infrastructure should be aligned with goals to change mobility habits and reduce traffic, while mitigating the risk of over-deployment without matching demand.
Using ‘decision support system’ tools can support planning and location decisions, with a strategic approach considering semi-private and publicly accessible private land. The procurement model should align with existing strategies, deploying charging points in phases and monitoring their use and reliability.
Future-proofing the charging infrastructure is essential, ensuring compatibility with evolving standards and upgradability of hardware and software. Systematic stakeholder engagement, involving public and private sectors, is crucial for effective deployment, as demonstrated by Turku’s e-charging master plan experience. Engaging service providers early in the strategy-setting process is recommended.
Read the full document here.
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