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912,496 of 3,500,000
The EU has installed only a quarter of the charging points needed for 2030.
With just five years until the 2030 deadline, fewer than one million charging points are accessible to drivers. Within the EU-27, the tally stands at about 910,000 — roughly a quarter of the Commission's 3.5 million goal. At today's build rate of around 150,000 a year, the bloc will fall far short, reaching just about 1.7 million by 2030. Closing this substantial gap means adding roughly 2.5 million more, or over 500,000 every year. The drawback is not only a matter of quantity but also of their distribution and charging speed.
The analysis that follows maps the thin spots between cities, compares access with charging speed, and shows how private retail networks help fill holes. The task is not just more posts: it is faster permitting, stronger grid connections, more ≥150 kW hubs, and guaranteed uptime with clear pricing.
This study was conducted by MotoIntegrator together with DataPulse Research using the European Commission's TEN-T dataset for the EU-27, with EFTA shown for context but outside that benchmark.
Europe is measuring its progress against two benchmarks. According to the European Commission, the EU will require approximately 3.5 million charging points by 2030. At the current rate of roughly 150,000 new points a year, the continent falls significantly short of the needed pace, since hitting 3.5 million would mean around 520,000 installations each year. The car industry's view is tougher: the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) argues 8.8 million will be needed by 2030, which implies about 1.5 million per year.
National targets are uneven and not directly comparable. A few countries publish explicit charging point targets, while many others focus on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) power and corridor coverage rules rather than a fixed socket count. Examples: Germany confirms 1,000,000 charging points by 2030 in its federal masterplan. France cites 400,000 charging points by 2030 in official materials. The Netherlands plans capacity through its National Charging Infrastructure Agenda, which uses broad projections across different access levels rather than a single, unified target.
Because definitions vary, we present a consolidated view of the EU-27's progress towards the Commission's benchmark of 3.5 million. AFIR remains the common floor: fast sites with a minimum power of 150 kW every 60 km on the TEN-T core network by 2025, with coverage and minimum-power requirements expanding thereafter.
Current status vs. European Commission 2030 target
Where electric mobility hits its limits
Totals mask the geography. Cities appear fine; the trouble lies between them. On this map, dark blue indicates a short hop to a plug (0–10 km), lighter blue 10–20 km, pink 20–40 km, and red 40 km or more. Why 40 km? Most EVs warn drivers with roughly 50 km of range remaining, so 40 km serves as a practical comfort threshold. AFIR asks for fast sites every 60 km on TEN-T corridors, yet this map counts all accessible chargers; secondary roads and cross-border links still show long stretches without an easy stop.
Northern Scandinavia shows the starkest gaps. Patches also appear across central Germany, rural France, and Spain's interior, plus alpine valleys, Baltic backroads, and islands. Motorways generally pass the test, but winter, hills, headwinds, or a busy/down site can turn a marginal gap into a headache.
What helps most is not "more dots" everywhere. Shrink the 40+ km zones, push 20–40 down below 20, and place a handful of high-power hubs on trunk B-roads where people naturally stop. That mix does more for confidence than scattering slow posts in places drivers never plan to charge.
Distance to nearest electric vehicle charging station across European regions
Countries are split along two axes: access and speed. Some regions pack in lots of posts per person but few high-power sites; others run leaner maps with a bigger fast-charging share. Read the chart from left to right for access and from top to bottom for speed. AFIR requires a minimum charging power on main European routes, so the top performers excel on both fronts: chargers are easy to find, and charging takes less time.
Four countries show the spectrum: a fragmented giant (Germany), a concentrated small market (Denmark), state dominance (Czech Republic), and a diversified market (Netherlands). When too fragmented, drivers juggle apps, cards, and tariffs; when too concentrated, prices rise while choice shrinks. The practical sweet spot is a few large players and a healthy fringe, backed by real roaming, transparent pricing, and reliable uptime.
There is a shift in who drives Europe's charging infrastructure. Oil majors and national utilities still lead, leveraging forecourts, grid reach, and deep pockets to roll out across borders. Specialist platforms focus on motorway corridors and busy city hubs, growing fastest where roaming works and cards work on first tap. Most operators are home-market heavy, with the bulk of their sockets concentrated in just two or three markets. Supermarkets are joining in too; Lidl now fields more plugs than several national networks.
| Rang | Operator | Gesamtpunkte | Primary Markets | Business Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TotalEnergies | 25.073 | Belgium (34%), Netherlands (24%), France (8%) | Oil major pivoting to energy transition |
| 2 | Vattenfall InCharge | 22.921 | Netherlands (59%), Sweden (8%), Germany (4%) | Nordic utility expanding across Europe |
| 3 | Enel X | 19.815 | Italy (70%), Spain (8%), Romania (4%) | E-mobility arm of Italian utility |
| 4 | EQUANS | 16.183 | Netherlands (82%), Belgium (10%) | Technical services (formerly Engie Services) |
| 5 | E.ON Drive | 16.002 | Denmark (28%), Sweden (31%), Germany (15%) | German utility charging network |
| 6 | ChargePoint | 15.594 | Germany (38%), Austria (20%), Netherlands (15%) | US-Ladeplattform in Europa |
| 7 | Shell Recharge | 14.158 | Netherlands (45%), Germany (18%), Belgium (12%) | Oil major charging network |
| 8 | Clever | 13.744 | Denmark (77%), Sweden (15%), Germany (8%) | Nordic charging specialist |
| 9 | EVBox | 12.713 | Netherlands (50%), France (15%), Germany (10%) | Lade-Hardware & -Software |
| 10 | Freshmile | 10.328 | France (71%), Germany (12%), Spain (8%) | French charging network operator |
| 11 | Tesla Destination | 9.371 | France (8%), Germany (7%), Italien (6%) | Teslas Hotel-Ladenetz |
| 12 | Lidl | 8.855 | France (33%), Germany (10%), Hungary (5%) | Retail chain charging network |
| 13 | Allego | 8.838 | France (22%), Germany (21%), Belgium (19%) | Pan-European pure-play operator |
| 14 | Virta | 8.361 | Finland (58%), France (10%), Sweden (7%) | Finnish charging platform |
| 15 | eCarUp AG | 8.150 | Switzerland (54%), Austria (6%), Germany (5%) | Swiss charging network |
Retail chains are emerging as key players in the charging infrastructure landscape. Store parking suits dwell time, grid capacity is typically nearby, and access is straightforward. Schwarz Group (Lidl and Kaufland) has rolled out thousands of locations across Europe, with UK grocers following similar moves. Where access remains open and contactless payment is available—as AFIR requires for ad-hoc charging—private rollouts can fill gaps faster than government schemes.
Turkey posted the fastest expansion in Europe. Regulatory data shows that accessible plugs jumped from around 11,800 at end-2023 to about 26,000 by end-2024. The acceleration is policy-driven: Ankara's 2024 "high-tech" incentives target EV manufacturing and their wider ecosystem, while BYD's $1 billion factory deal adds industrial incentive for charging along key corridors. The next test is quality: ensuring higher-power coverage on intercity routes, reliable uptime, and seamless payment across networks.
What we lack is not pins on a map so much as power, honesty, and ease-of-use. AFIR has set the homework: real power on main routes, tap-and-go payments, intelligible pricing, and live status that is not a fiction.
Today, fewer than one million points are operational, around 26% of the Commission's 3.5 million benchmark for the EU-27. At the current pace of about 150,000 additions per year, the total would reach around 1.7 million by 2030. Hitting 3.5 million requires about 520,000 new points annually. Financial incentives help, but permits, grid connections, and operating hours will decide who actually makes the switch to electric.
On-street points (11-22 kW) suit apartments and offices; long trips need strong 150 kW networks along motorways and major routes. Card payments have to work first try. Prices have to be clear. Roaming means one account that works across borders in any public network: plug in, pay, drive. If we're still juggling three apps and two RFID cards, that's not roaming.
Retail parking lots can carry some of the load (shoppers linger, cables are short, power is nearby) provided access remains genuinely public and equipment stays maintained.
Do the basics, and range anxiety turns into planning. Miss them, and we'll own a forest of slow sockets that look fine in a press pack yet feel like filling a tank with a thimble. Power where you drive, proximity where you live, reliability every time you plug in. That is the job between now and 2030.
Data sources: Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) database across 30 European countries, supplemented by European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) for growth analysis and national regulatory data where available. Charging density calculated per 100,000 population using Eurostat data.
Geographic scope: 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. Analysis covers accessible charging infrastructure, excluding private residential and restricted workplace installations.
Time scope: All analysis based on snapshot data from August 2025. Growth comparison specifically examines 2023-2024 period.
Power classifications: Standard (3.7-22 kW), Fast (22-150 kW), Ultra-fast (>150 kW). Fast-charging share refers to percentage of points >150 kW, aligned with AFIR definitions for high-power charging.
Market concentration methodology: Based on operator market share within each country. Classifications: Dominant (leading operator >25%), Concentrated (15-25%), Competitive/Fragmented (<15%). Cross-border analysis identifies operators present in multiple markets.
Data processing: "Charging points" refers to individual connectors where vehicles can charge simultaneously, aligned with EU regulatory definitions. Operator names standardized across countries, duplicate entries removed, and non-operational points excluded.
Limitations: Data reflects official member state reporting with typical 2-3 month lags for newest installations. Some apparent declines in mature markets reflect data quality improvements rather than physical removals. Growth analysis constrained by data availability and reporting consistency across jurisdictions.
