Public charging points, one of the main brakes on the sale of 100% electric cars in Spain, are gradually becoming less of a problem, as reflected in the Electromobility Barometer published by the manufacturers’ association Anfac. A report that confirms the lag of our country compared to the rest of Europe, and which reflects other problems that prevent the share of electric vehicles from being greater and getting closer to the EU’s objectives.
Thus, the number of public access charging points has grown by 32% during 2024, with 9,424 more points than the previous year, reaching a total of 38,275 operational points. And they could have grown more, but 11,446 charging points are installed, but not operational for various reasons, so the total figure would have been 50,171. This means that 23% of the charging points installed in Spain do not work.
If they had come into operation it would have exceeded “the desirable objective for the year 2023” and Spain would be close to the objective of 64,000 set for 2024.
This year, inoperative points have increased by 3,718 compared to 2023, which according to Anfac highlights the need to act on this percentage by streamlining the bureaucratic procedures that facilitate its implementation.
In Spain the signage also fails. In this sense, the general director of Anfac, José López-Tafall, denounces that “anyone who drives on Spanish roads knows that there is no signage for the many good charging points that, if they exist, and it is enough to go to France or Portugal to Realizing that there are countries that have prioritized this aspect is critical to giving confidence to those who are considering a change in technology.
The slowdown in the market and the economy, together with the need for more effective measures to boost the sale of electrified vehicles, has conditioned the evolution of the general indicator for both Europe and Spain. Thus, the Anfac report includes the global electromobility indicator (which assesses the penetration of electrified vehicles and the installation of publicly accessible charging infrastructure) with 15.5 rating points out of 100, which represents a growth of 1. 7 points compared to the previous year, a slightly higher evolution than the European average, which has advanced by 1.2 points to reach a general figure of 29, close to double the Spanish average.
The delay with respect to the European average is clear if the figures are compared with those of Portugal or Germany. While the Portuguese country has continued to bet on the electrification model with direct aid to demand and has grown 4.7 points in the indicator, Germany has fallen 4.3 points after the withdrawal of aid for the purchase of these vehicles.
Within the regional ranking, the five autonomous communities that most boosted the global electromobility indicator were Madrid, Navarra, Catalonia, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha, which remain above the national average. The largest increases have occurred in Navarra, with an increase of 3.1 points, Cantabria, with 2.9 points and Castilla y León, with 2.6. It is also notable that the only region that has shown a decline this year has been the Balearic Islands, with a decrease of 0.3 points to a value of 15 points out of 100.
Sale of electrified vehicles
During 2024, 115,935 new electrified passenger cars have been sold, a figure that represents an increase compared to the 113,784 units of the previous year, although still far from the objective of 280,000 sales set for this year to be able to meet the decarbonization objectives established in the Fit for 55.
At the regional level, Madrid maintains its leadership in the ranking with a total of 35.3 points out of 100, well above the national average (21.4). As for the rest of the classification, Navarra (28.1), Catalonia (23.8) and the Canary Islands (21.9) are at the top, being the only ones that exceed the national average. It is especially noteworthy that, unlike 2023, where general progress was recorded in all regions, in 2024 there have been declines in this indicator in six autonomous communities, highlighting the falls in the Balearic Islands (-1.9), Aragon (-1.6) and La Rioja (-1.3).
With this data, López-Tafall asks for “a shock plan so that all these assets are visible on Spanish roads. There is a long way to go to get closer to the objectives set for 2025, so it is necessary to maintain a double approach, with short-term shock measures and a medium and long-term strategic vision that shows us the path to maintain the competitiveness of our industry. And always spreading the word in favor of the use of private vehicles, which, if it were zero emissions, then much better.
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