Europe needs to invest €280 billion in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has published a report urging the European Union to encourage investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure

Investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Europe requires a boost of no less than €280 billion. This is stated in the latest report published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA); which points out in a press release that the European Union has to adopt a rate of installation of 14,000 public charging points per week compared to the current 2,000, until reaching the figure of 6,800,000 charging points installed in 2030. A figure that according to the ACEA report would help reduce 55% of CO2 emissions from European passenger cars.

This demand is considerably far from the figure presented by the European Commission in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which is currently being negotiated in the European Parliament and Council and is practically half of what was indicated by the ACEA. On the other hand, the study estimates that the annual costs of public charging infrastructure amount to 8 billion euros, around 16% of the investment in 5G networks and high-speed internet.

• In addition to this, The locations, space, and power levels required for heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure are substantially different from those for passenger vehicles. Thus, trucks will require 279,000 charging points by 2030, of which 84% will be at fleet centers. The remaining charging points will be predominantly public, rapid roadside charging points (around 36,000), and public night charging points (around 9,000). For buses, a total of 56,000 charging points will be needed by 2030, of which 92% will be at fleet centers. The other 4,000 charging points should enable fast charging off-road, especially for regional buses and coaches.
• ACEA President and BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said: “The main challenge now is to convince all Member States to accelerate the pace of deployment of the necessary infrastructure. We absolutely need an ambitious conclusion to the AFIR proposal, both in terms of its timetable and the targets it sets for each EU country.”

• How does electric vehicle charging infrastructure work?

First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that what we know as fast charging stations operate with a power equal to or greater than 50 kW, i.e., in direct current. This is why, in order for our car to charge, we will require more elements than those we would find in a domestic or low-power charger.

Thus, the electricity reaches the charging station through the electrical grid supplied by the supplier. This is where we will differentiate three main elements for charging our vehicle:

• Transformation center, including connection to the Medium voltage network.
• Power converter cabinet.
• Charging post.

Let’s go with the first one. The transformation center will be responsible for connecting the electric charging station to the medium-voltage network, complying with the regulations required by the Electricity Distributor to whose network it will be connected and for transforming the electricity from the medium-voltage network to low-voltage. Why is this point important? Because it guarantees the operation of the rest of the elements that will ensure the charging of the electric vehicle and because it is, in turn, a fundamental point from the point of view of safety.

In addition, the most advanced transformation centers offer operating companies remote data that allow them to know the consumption, usage trends, the status of the network and its elements, allowing them to operate and maintain their network of charging stations more efficiently. All of this ensures that power is available to the different users.

Once the voltage is low, it’s time for the second element of the equation to come into operation: it’s the turn of the power converter cabinet. This set of equipment fulfills the function of adapting the electricity, which arrives in alternating current, to direct current, which is what the batteries of electric vehicles accept.

Now, that the voltage is low and the current is direct current, it’s the turn of the most well-known element: the charging post. These posts, with an appearance and functions similar to the pumps we find at any gas station, only in this case the energy is electrical, are responsible for transmitting power to our car.

In addition, they allow us to know the energy that the “electrolinera” is capable of supplying us, what our battery is capable of absorbing, the temperature conditions of the battery and an approximation of the charging time, in addition to payment management. In short, in addition to providing us with energy through the cable, they are our interpreter so that the charger and the vehicle understand each other and we can choose the best charging option.