By 2050, the European Union aims to slash transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 90%. This turned everyone’s attention towards European lawmakers, now commissioned with developing a supporting framework that’ll handle the influx of EVs hitting European streets in the years to come.

As a result, the EU sealed the deal on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) in March 2023. This game-changing regulation is set to shape the future of EV infrastructure across the continent.

Before we jump into all of the benefits that AFIR brings to stakeholders across the e-mobility ecosystem, let’s take a quick look at what AFIR actually is.

What is AFIR?

The new AFIR is a binding legal instrument requiring all EU countries, Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and e-mobility service providers (eMSPs) to follow specific rules when rolling out public EV charging stations for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles. EU countries must meet specific targets for EV infrastructure, like power capacity and distance-based coverage along major roads and motorways. In short, the aim of AFIR is for Europe to have a robust charging network that keeps up with the demand.

Charging infrastructure & EV demand growth

European countries are stepping up their game by mandating a power ‘quota’ for charging stations. It means that countries need to provide a minimum power capacity of 1.3 kW for each passenger electric vehicle. For plug-in hybrid vehicles, the quota is 0.8 kW. This is to ensure that the charging infrastructure grows hand in hand with the increasing number of vehicles on the road.