He deployment of a wider network of charging stations with high-speed charging It is still today one of the key points for the transition to cleaner mobility, one of the key goals, if we are not going to reverse it because it is too late, but at least to mitigate the worst effects that will come from the hands of global warming if we do not do something about it. And no, I’m not so delusional as to think the emissions problem is solved for the electric car, but it may represent progress on that front.

2035 will not finally mean a ban on all heat engine vehicles because Germany allowed those employing a-fuel are outside this measure, as CO2 is not produced when using these fuels, which is the main goal of this measure. However, this will not change things much, as the price of these clean fuels is expected to be much higher than what we use today. In other words, we can expect EV adoption to grow substantially over the next few years.

The main problem with electric cars today is their price. It is true that some small models designed exclusively for urban mobility are a little more affordable, but if we want a car that is able to provide us with a service as close as possible to that of an internal combustion engine, prices skyrocket. , among other things due to the price of batteries. So a much wider network of fast charging stations could make a big difference in this sense will significantly reduce the need for high-capacity batteries.

Europe has decided to take action in this regard, and as we can read in this press release from the European Parliament, the European Council has reached an agreement on new European Union rules for recharging and refueling stations for alternative fuelsi.e. electric stations, but also hydrogen stations and recharging stations for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG).

Arguably the most important point of this agreement is that it stipulates that electric charging stations for cars at least every 60 kilometers in the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), with charging points as a minimum 400 kW in 2026amount which must be raised up to 600 kW in 2028. And for cars, because for trucks and buses the maximum distance in 2028 will be 120 kilometers and the minimum charging speeds will be between 1,400 and 2,800 kW depending on the road.

On the other hand, just like gas stations have been doing for years, electric stations will have to inform in a clearly visible way about the price per kilowatt for refuelingand charging points must offer a variety of payment methods that are “easy and convenient” for users. This seems no doubt to prevent the proliferation of charging points that only allow payments through their own apps and/or payment systems. It is stipulated that customers will be able to pay with payment cards (debit/credit), contactless devices via NFC or in certain cases using a QR code.