This night the negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, in the framework of the negotiations for the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) which is part of the package "Ready for 55%", have reached an agreement. preliminary agreement on the installation on European roads of electric charging stations and hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and trucks powered by electric power or alternative fuels. The agreement stipulates that by 2026 the electric charging stations for automobiles, with a power of at least 400 kW, will have to be installed at least every 60 kilometers along the TEN-T central transport network, while the power of the network will have to increase to 600 kW by 2028. In addition, relative to trucks and buses, the agreement provides for the obligation by 2028 to install an electric charging station every 120 kilometers on half of the main roads in the EU that will have to be equipped with a power from 1400 kW to 2800 kW depending on the road. In all cases there would be some exemptions for the spread to the outermost regions, the islands and roads with very poor traffic. In addition, negotiators have agreed to install by 2031 hydrogen refuelling stations along the TEN-T core network at least every 200 kilometers.

"We have to decarbonize the transport sector, which is still responsible for a huge amount of emissions," the speaker of the European Parliament, Ismail Ertug, said. Alternative and sustainable fuels and the realization of adequate infrastructure are essential in the transition to a climatically neutral Europe. The new rules will help implement the infrastructure for alternative fuels without further delay and will ensure that driving and recharging a next-generation car is both simple and convenient as one that depends on gasoline. "

The final version of the AFIR is to be ratified by the EU governments and the European Parliament before it comes into force.

Commenting on the outcome of the negotiations, the environmental organisation Transport & Environment (T&E) stressed how the agreed text " guarantees a sufficient number of public charging stations for logistics, so we can increase significantly the CO2 emission reduction target proposed by the EU for 2030, which is key to promoting the adoption of electric trucks. The European Commission has proposed a reduction of only 45% percent of CO2 emissions from new trucks sold as of that date, but the European Parliament and governments can review that goal and increase its ambition. before the legislative process is finalized. The law also requires a sufficient number of hydrogen filling stations for the fleet of means that will be fueled by that fuel. "

"The charging infrastructure is often cited as the big obstacle to a faster spread of the zero-emission heavyweight," said Andrea Boraschi, director of Transport & Environment Italy, in a statement. But now that obstacle appears removed. The AFIR opens the way for more ambitious climate goals for truck manufacturers, which will make European road transport significantly greener. European parliamentarians and governments can increase climate goals for the heavy means with the certainty of having a wide network of charging stations available. "