Brussels: Public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the European Union has expanded faster than EV sales, with all member states except Malta already meeting the bloc’s charging requirements linked to the size of their battery-electric vehicle fleets, according to a report released by advocacy group Transport & Environment (T&E).
The findings challenge claims by some automakers that inadequate charging infrastructure and weak consumer demand are slowing the transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles, The Economic Times reported.
According to T&E, the EU’s public charging network reached 1.1 million charging points by the end of 2025, nearly five times the level recorded in 2020.
The report said the European Union has exceeded the fleet-based public charging targets set under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) by 180%, indicating that charging infrastructure is expanding more rapidly than the number of battery-electric vehicles on the road.
All EU member states, except Malta, have met the public charging capacity requirements tied to the size of their EV fleets, the report found.
However, T&E noted that challenges remain in deploying ultra-fast charging stations along major transport corridors. Only 79% of the EU’s core transport network currently complies with AFIR requirements for high-power charging infrastructure.
The report suggests that while further investment is needed in fast-charging facilities, the overall availability of public charging infrastructure is no longer the primary barrier to EV adoption across much of the European Union.
