An analysis by Transport & Environment finds that, as of March 2026, all EU member states except Malta meet the bloc’s fleet-based target for public charging capacity. Under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), each country must provide at least 1.3 kW of public charging capacity per battery electric vehicle (BEV). Aggregated at the EU level, public charging capacity now exceeds this requirement by 180 percent.
By the end of 2025, the EU had installed roughly 1.1 million public chargers—five times the number in 2020— demonstrating significant progress in scaling infrastructure ahead of strong electric vehicle sales in 2025 and 2026. Malta remains the sole outlier, with public charging capacity lagging the size of its BEV fleet.
The AFIR also mandates a distance-based requirement for DC fast chargers (150 kW or more) along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). By June 2026, 79 percent of the core network of national motorways had met the 2025 target for ultra-fast chargers, while 20 of 27 member states have already achieved their 2027 deployment target on the comprehensive network of regional motorways and primary roads—18 months ahead of schedule. Remaining coverage gaps are largely concentrated in Eastern Europe and Spain, though these regions are also installing ultra-fast chargers at the fastest rate in the EU.
Transport & Environment notes that adding just 70 strategically located stations—22 in Spain, 11 in Poland and seven in Romania—could raise overall compliance with the distance-based target to approximately 90 percent.
“Today, EV drivers do not have far to go for a public charger,” said Lucien Mathieu, Cars Director at Transport & Environment. “The charging targets are working as intended and have enabled huge growth in the EV market. However, there are still challenges related to charging ease of use and price transparency. Addressing these will be crucial to make EVs more attractive, especially for those living in apartment buildings who rely on public infrastructure.”
Source: Transport & Environment
