BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The European automotive industry is warning of a growing gap between the number of public charging stations and new electric cars. Sales of electric cars in the EU grew three times faster than the number of newly installed charging stations between 2017 and 2023, the European Automobile Association Acea announced on Monday. There is an alarming gap between the number of public charging stations needed and the number that will be available in the future.

In an EU comparison, Germany is still in a relatively good position. Almost two thirds of the charging points available in the EU are concentrated in three countries: Germany, France and the Netherlands. According to Acea, there is a correlation between good charging infrastructure and the number of new e-cars sold. Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy are each among the top five EU countries in terms of the number of new electric cars sold and the number of charging points available.

According to Acea, around 150,000 new charging points are currently being installed every year. However, the EU Commission estimates that 440,000 per year will be needed for there to be enough by 2030. The automotive industry even assumes that 1.2 million new charging points per year will be needed by 2030. The switch to increasing electromobility should help the EU to meet its climate targets./mjm/DP/zb