News
24/01/2013

EU Launches Clean Fuel Strategy

The main measures proposed in the Clean Power for Transport Package, of relevance to urban transport, concern recharging points for electric vehicles, the development of a Hydrogen network and refuelling with Liquefied (LNG) and Compressed (CNG) Natural Gas.

The "Type 2" plug has been selected as the common standard plug to be applied EU-wide. Despite that in some countries, such as France, this plug is not used, in most European countries this is the most produced and used plug, hence its selection. The Vice-President comforted expressed concerns by saying that experts have assured him that all EU counties will be able to adjust their charging points.

With regards to the charging points, under the proposal a minimum number of recharging points will be required by each Member State by 2020. 10% of those should be publicly accessible. This number is based on the number of electric vehicles planned in each of the Member States.  The required number per country, as well as the current stance, is available in the table below.

The common standards will also apply to the Hydrogen network. Under the proposal, existing filling stations will be linked up to form a network ensuring the mobility of Hydrogen vehicles. This applies to the 14 Member States which currently have a Hydrogen network.

The Clean Power for Transport Package also touches upon refuelling of trucks and at major EU ports withLiquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Commission is proposing that LNG refuelling stations be installed in all 139 maritime and inland ports on the Trans European (TEN-T) Core Network by 2020 and respectively 2025. These would be fixed or mobile refuelling stations. Refuelling stations for trucks should also be installed every 400 km along the roads of the Trans European Core Network, by 2020.

The Commission's proposal with regards to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), mainly used for cars, is to have publically accessible refuelling points Europe-wide, with common standards, with maximum distances of 150 Km, again by 2020. This density of refuelling points will allow CNG vehicles to circulate in the whole EU.

Common standards for LNG and CNG refuelling stations for cars, trucks and vessels must be developed by December 2015.

According to the Commission, Member States will be able to implement these changes without necessarily involving public spending if they use the wide range of measures available to mobilise private investment. At the same time, EU support is already available from TEN-T funds, cohesion and structural funds.

Links:

EC Press Release, 24/01/2013

Clean Power for Transport - Frequently asked questions, 24/01/2013

 

 

Electric charging Points/vehicles per Member State

Members States

Existing infrastructure

(charging points)

2011

Proposed targets of publicly accessible infrastructure by 2020 (1)

Member States' plans for nos of electric vehicles for 2020

Austria

489

12,000

250,000

Belgium

188

21,000

-

Bulgaria

1

7,000

-

Cyprus

-

2,000

-

Czech Republic

23

13,000

-

Germany

1,937

150,000

1,000,000

Denmark

280

5,000

200,000

Estonia

2

1,000

-

Greece

3

13,000

-

Finland

1

7,000

-

France

1,600

97,000

2,000,000

Hungary

7

7,000

-

Ireland

640

2,000

350,000

Italy

1,350

125,000

130,000 (by 2015)

Lithuania

-

4,000

-

Luxembourg

7

1,000

40,000

Latvia

1

2,000

-

Malta

-

1,000

-

Netherlands

1,700

32,000

200,000

Poland

27

46,000

-

Portugal

1,350

12,000

200,000

Romania

1

10,000

-

Spain

1,356

82,000

2,500,000

Slovakia

3

4,000

-

Slovenia

80

3,000

14,000

Sweden

-

14,000

600,000

United Kingdom

703

122,000

1,550,000

(1): The number of publicly accessible recharging points is 10% of the total number of recharging points.