Italy is aligned with the EU objectives dictated by the AFIR regulation (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure), but 60% of public infrastructure is concentrated in just 5 regions and meets the targets until 2026. By 2030, charging points will have to exceed seven times the current number. According to the study by the environmental organization T&E (Transport & Environment), the installation of charging stations will have to develop in a more homogeneous way to avoid a “two-speed” Italy. Promoting a homogeneous and accessible growth of electric mobility in our country.
What the AFIR regulation requires
The European regulation, approved as part of the Fit for 55 package, requires Member States to place a minimum level of charging points to ensure sufficient infrastructure for citizens and businesses who want to focus on electric mobility. Specifically, it is expected to be a “fixed” objective of infrastructure of the main road and motorway backbonesbe a target linked to the growth of electric and plug-in hybrid cars registered.
This means, also for Italy, installing 1.3 kW of power for each registered pure electric light vehicle (BEV). And another 0.8 kW for each plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). The AFIR regulation also asks us to create a plan for the development of the charging networkto be delivered to the European Commission by 31 December 2024.
Figures and risks of the charging network for Italian electric mobility
Moving on to the data, Italy today largely satisfies what is required by European legislation. As it possesses over 42 thousand public charging points and just over 1.5 GW of power installed. In relation to the electric vehicles in circulation, the charging stations cover 261% of what is foreseen by the AFIR regulation. But it’s not enough.
Current EV charging versus targets
Due to the “dynamic” nature of AFIR objectives, the currently installed power will be sufficient to meet the targets only until 2026. T&E estimates a diffusion of just under 2 million fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2027: the current charging network would only satisfy 67% of what is required. By 2030, when the share of registered vehicles could rise to over 5.7 million, the current number of charging stations will only meet 22% of the target.
This is why Italy will have to increase the power installed in the territory by approximately one and a half times by 2027 and by approximately 4.5 times by 2030. Translated, based on the different power of the charging points, 90 thousand charging points by 2027 And 280 thousand by 2030almost seven times the current number.
Beware of geographic disparity
When installing additional charging points, Transport & Environment also recommends paying attention to the location. To date, in fact, in only 5 regions – Lombardy, Piedmont, Lazio, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna – 60% of charging points are concentrated, despite the fact that these represent 35% of the territory and just under 50% of the population and electric vehicles in circulation. So one is needed widespread and democratic growth throughout the countryto ensure that the network is a true enabler for zero-emission mobility.
“Italy already has a good level of diffusion of charging stations – comments Carlo Tritto, policy officer for T&E Italia -. However, it will be essential to ensure that the network develops in a homogeneous way. To date there is a real risk of widening the gap between the North, where public charging is already quite widespread, and the Centre-South, where the network is clearly insufficient”.
Economy, logistics and tourism: the strategic implications of the AFIR regulation
The research also analyzes the degree of compliance with the AFIR regulation of all 20 Italian regions, showing large differences. While deploying a greater number of charging points where the electricity park is larger is correct in many respects, it remains essential to guarantee sufficient charging capacity throughout the territory. Indeed it must be within the reach of all citizens and logistics companies be able to travel long distances. As well as guaranteeing territories that are little affected by industrial activities, sparsely inhabited but a strong tourist vocationthe possibility of efficient and clean mobility.
3 proposals to expand the charging network
At this point, how can we achieve the objectives of the AFIR regulation for 2023? T&E identifies some proposals:
- extension of the credit mechanism to renewable electricity supplied by charging stations (see Holland);
- banning of lots for the construction of the network (see Germany), which group points of greater profitability for operators with others that are less profitable but of strategic interest;
- together with the AFIR compliance plan, thePNIRE update (whose latest version dates back to 2016) and declination of national targets at regional level.
Moreover, the development of a widespread, homogeneous public charging network capable of moving consumers towards green technologies is an essential condition for reaching the targets that the Government itself is setting for 2030 in the revision of the PNIEC. That means 6.3 million BEVs and PHEVs in circulation by 2030 And 963 ktoe of renewable electricity, again for that date, in road transport. Strengthening the EV charging network now is not only essential to achieve national and EU targets. Rather, it is necessary to bring Italy back on track ecological transition of transportbenefiting not only the planet but also the markets.
