New EU Directive: UK Forced to Install 70,000 EV Charging Stations by 2020

The European Parliament has just approved a draft directive that will form the backbone of efforts to reduce dependence on oil and increase the consumption of alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and compressed natural gas (CNG) by 2020, and cut total greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector by 60% by 2050.

In line with the resolution the UK will be legally compelled to install a network of a minimum 70,000 publically accessible electric vehicle charging points, along with hydrogen and natural gas refill stations, by 2020; Germany will have to install 86,000, and Italy 72,000.

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The European Parliament has said that it does not expect governments to pay for the new infrastructure, but rather puts the onus on the private sector, encouraged by strong tax and public procurement incentives offered by governments.

The European Transport Committee, stated that nationally coordinated policies should contain both targets and measures to encourage an increase in the consumption of alternative fuels, as well as targets to reduce congestion in urban areas, and offer a higher number of electric public transport services.

ClickGreen reports that the 2020 targets detailed in the directive, include:

•    A minimum number of recharging points for electric vehicles provided in the draft directive would have to be put into place by member states, especially in towns.
•    In countries where hydrogen refuelling points already exist, a sufficient number of refuelling points should be made available, at intervals not exceeding 300 km. MEPs added a requirement for building up numbers of hydrogen refuelling points in member states where they do not yet exist, with a deadline of 31 December 2030.
•    For heavy duty vehicles, refuelling points for LNG along the roads on the TEN-T Core Network should be established at intervals not exceeding 400 km.
•    A sufficient number of CNG refuelling points should be available, at maximum intervals of 100 km.

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MEPs suggested that in order to relieve the pressure on both the private and public sector of achieving these ambitious targets, some of the funding necessary could come from EU programs such as Horizon 2020, the Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, and the Connecting Europe Facility.

By. Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com