Electromobility: EU releases 45 million euros for 1400 new charging points

As part of the program funded by the EU under the name "Drive-E" with 45  million euros, a further 1,400 public charging points for trucks and cars are to be set up in 13 European countries by the end of 2027. It is one of 39 projects that the European Union is subsidizing to improve the infrastructure for alternative fuels. The energy company Eon, its Slovakian subsidiary ZSE and the charging station operator Eldrive are responsible for implementing the measure that has now been decided, as Eon announced in its press release.

Electric trucks are also being considered

The charging points are to be installed at more than 250 locations in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. 430 charging points alone are planned for heavy commercial vehicles with an output of 350 kW or more. Eon also states that the project will focus on "supplementing and expanding the existing network for light commercial vehicles in areas with gaps in the network".

The funds for the project come from the second phase of the EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF). It aims to advance the charging infrastructure in the trans-European transport network and thus make freight and passenger transport in Europe more efficient and sustainable. AFIF II was launched in February 2024 with a total budget of one billion euros and expires in 2025.

According to the Federal Network Agency, Eon Drive was Germany's second-largest charging station operator at the beginning of December with almost 4300 charging points behind EnBW Mobility with 8400. In total, there are more than 6000 public charging points in eleven European countries.

(fpi)