What the New EU Regulations Mean for EV Charging

The European Parliament and the United Kingdom recently adopted rules that should make driving an EV better in Europe and eventually the world. The new rules should help improve charger availability, speed, and reliability.  

More Chargers and Faster Charging

The new rules are part of the European Union’s “Fit for 55” package that aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030. They focus on reducing the distance between chargers and increasing average charging speeds. The new rules dictate that charging plazas must be placed every 60km (about 37.28 mi) along TEN-T core network highways—Europe’s continental highway system. Each plaza will need to deliver a minimum of 400kW of total charging capacity and include at least one 150kW+ charger. Charging stations must be installed by 2026. 

In 2028, the EU plans to raise the minimum total charging capacity for each charging plaza to 600kW and at least two 150kW+ chargers.  

The rules also outline requirements for commercial vehicle charging: Charging points every 120km with total output of 1.4-2.8 MW, depending on the road.  

Easier Payments and Better Maps

Some charging networks require drivers to sign up for a service or use a proprietary app to pay for a charging session. The new regulations require charging networks to include contactless credit card readers to make charging easier and more universal. Charging providers will also have to publicly display charging rates. 

Lastly, the EU will also develop a database of charging stations that includes availability, wait times, and pricing by 2027. 

Reliability Standards

The UK government has also proposed new charger reliability standards, requiring 99% uptime for all chargers. According to government surveys, 15% of UK charging stations were out of service in 2017 and 8% were unavailable in 2019. The UK government wants to reduce downtime to 1% by 2024. 

The Netherlands has already set 99% charger uptime targets, urging charge point operators to make sure their chargers are available 99% of the time during the month. 

UK charging providers will also be required to provide credit card readers and accept Apple and Google Pay at charging stations. And like charge providers in the EU, they’ll need to provide real-time status/availability updates. 

In 2022, the UK government earmarked £1.6 billion to build 300,000 charging points across the country, which is about five times as many petrol pumps currently in operation. These charging stations should be completed by 2030. 

Tritium’s Take

As more people purchase EVs and more commercial fleets go electric, public rapid charging infrastructure will be critical. These new regulations ensure that drivers will never be too far from a rapid charging station, nearly eliminating range anxiety. More public charging will only increase the rate of EV adoption—more people will purchase EVs knowing there’s always a place to charge them up. Without range anxiety, drivers may even consider mid-priced EVs with less range and rely on more frequent charging stops.  

All of Tritium’s newest chargers meet the EU and UK requirements. Our PKM150 charger can deliver a sustained 150kW, meeting rapid-charging requirements. Our RTM75 chargers also meet the new EU and UK regulations for charging plazas.  

To learn more about our chargers and regulations that could affect your charging business, talk to a Tritium expert today.