EV Charging & Grids
The complexity and slow pace of getting a grid connection and the associated permits is the #1 bottleneck to the rapid and widespread rollout of charging infrastructure across Europe. ChargeUp Europe has been at the forefront of this issue and now it is high on the political agenda of EU policymakers who are needed to make the process of infrastructure rollout more uniform, transparent, and faster.
Electricity Grids in Europe Study: Smarter grids can save Europe €10.6 billion in grid investment while accelerating the transition to electric mobility
What would an efficient grid connection and permitting process look like from a Charge Point Operator perspective?
Simplifying & Accelerating the Grid Connection & Permitting Processes: An Open Letter from Europe's EV Charge Point Operators
Why a cross-industry call to action?
The largest bottleneck CPOs face across Europe today is the amount of time it takes to establish a grid connection point, the complexity of the process to get one, and access to sufficient grid capacity.
More than 20 CPOs across Europe, consisting of ChargeUp Members and non-members, have signed an open letter to propose five criteria benchmarking state-of-the-art permitting processes that would harmonise and standardise the process of getting a grid connection in Europe.
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An efficient process would see a standardization of steps and procedures which would be based on digital tools and a digitalized approach.
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An efficient process would deliver transparency at all stages.
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An efficient process would provide predictability for outcomes, as well as costs. It would ensure that outcomes do not vary from one DSO to another depending on the account manager in charge, leading to waste of scarce manpower within CPOs.
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An efficient process would take into account that CPOs operate across borders, and encourage DSOs across Europe to converge toward one standardized process acting de facto as the “industry standard” for multiple jurisdictions, supporting the scale-up of charging networks.
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An efficient process would guarantee that the time between a request for a permit and realisation of the connection to the grid is specific as well as accurate.
Europe will need to strengthen its electricity grids as electric vehicle uptake grow, but building more capacity is only part of the answer
A new study, Electricity Grids in Europe, commissioned by EIT Urban Mobility, ChargeUp Europe and ACEA and conducted by Siemens, explores how Europe’s electricity grids are under pressure from growing EV demand: €24.7 billion in distribution grid investment could be required by 2030.
Based on modelling of 64 representative European cities, the study finds that:
intelligent EV Load Management could reduce projected grid investment needs by €10.6 billion by 2030;
55–62% of EV owners in six representative cities will have access to residential charging by 2030, making low-voltage distribution grids central to Europe's electrification journey;
charging behaviour fundamentally shapes local grid demand and future investment needs;
the greatest efficiencies come from combining grid reinforcement, digitalisation and smart charging.
Smarter charging can help Europe make better use of electricity grids, but charging deployment, grid upgrades and digitalisation need to be planned together and considering local needs and EV uptake.
Listen to our Secretary General Lucie Mattera and Peter Badik from GreenWay discussing how to simplify grid connections and permitting on the REVOLUTION podcast, hosted by EVBox
Listen to Jan Kůla (CEZ Distribuzia) and Aaron Fishbone (GreenWay & ChargeUp Europe) giving insights on how regulatory, technical and sectoral challenges will make a fast evolution in the transport sector possible on the E.DSO Podcast
In the media
European Grids Package: ChargeUp Europe’s proposed amendments
Watt’s the Hold-Up? Fixing Grids for E-Mobility
Joint Statement on the key role of distribution grids for a competitive, green and resilient Europe
Access to In-vehicle Data for EV Charging: Consumer and Grid Benefits
“Action Plan to Facilitate Grids Rollout”: The EV Charging Perspective
Call from the Economy to the Grid: The New Highways of Europe
Hook Us Up! Simplifying and Accelerating the Grid Connection and Permitting Process for EV Chargers