Europe is set to make massive advancements in its use of electric vehicles – and it should have 4.1million electric vehicle charging stations in place by 2020.
That’s the verdict of a new report by Pike Research entitled Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment in Europe. However, while it suggests that the movements for the electric vehicle market in the continent will be positive overall, the absence of a single alternating current (AC) charging connector is limiting the deployment of the infrastructure.
At the moment, the German car industry is firmly behind the Type 2 plug – however, French and Italian electric equipment manufacturers have supported the Type 3 plug. For example, Renault is currently selling the Renault Fluence EV (pictured) with a type two plug in Germany and a type three plug in France.
According to the report, if electric vehicle charging infrastructure is to reach its potential in Europe then these alternating standards cannot last.
In addition, it believes Europe needs more collaboration in general with regards to electric vehicles. It suggests that some national governments are willing to pay for charging stations and give cash incentives to those buying electric vehicles; while others will not offer any financial support. In addition, multiple technologies and rates apply to charging an electric vehicle – and the complex regulations from country to country are influencing charging services.
Overall, Pike research looked at 19 countries in Europe: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It suggests that Germany will be the largest market and represent 24 per cent of the region’s sales in 2020 – it is followed by France, the UK and the Netherlands.
Paul is a freelance writer with a background in everything from motoring to finance; and holidays to women's undergarments he just writes about them, honestly! He has now sadly crept into his early 30s and seems to have forgotten everything learned at school Still, he's a green car fanatic and isn't that what counts?
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