Electric and gas-powered vehicles — recharging/refuelling stations

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2014/94/EU — deploying the EU’s alternative fuels infrastructure

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS DIRECTIVE DO?

—	It establishes standard rules on rolling out the EU’s alternative fuels* infrastructure (i.e. electric car recharging stations or natural gas refuelling points) in the different EU countries.

—	It lays down minimum requirements for building up this infrastructure, to be implemented as part of every EU country’s national policy framework.

KEY POINTS

EU countries must adopt national policies that aim to develop the market for alternative transport fuels and the infrastructure to support them. In drawing up these policies, EU countries must:

—	make an assessment of the current state of the market and prospects for future development;

—	set national targets for deploying the infrastructure and the measures necessary to meet them;

—	designate networks for this infrastructure.

Key dates

Countries must provide the following, by the following dates.

—	2020 — sufficient recharging stations to allow electric cars to travel around densely populated areas within the network the country has determined.

—	2025 (end) — sufficient recharging stations for hydrogen (for any country that decides to include hydrogen in its national policy framework).

—	2025 (end) — sufficient liquefied natural gas (LNG) stations at seaports, to accommodate LNG-powered ships.

Reporting

EU countries are required to submit a progress report to the European Commission on the implementation of their national frameworks by 2019, and every 3 years after that.

BACKGROUND

See also:

—	Alternative fuels

—	Roadmap on resource-efficient transport (2011)

—	Directive 2009/28/EC (target of 10 % market share for renewables in transport fuels)

KEY TERMS

* Alternative fuels means fuels or power sources that serve, at least partly, as a substitute for fossil oil sources. Examples include electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, compressed natural gas (CNG), LNG, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

ACT

Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure

last update 09.11.2015