EV sales penetration in Spain is below the global average but beginning to rise quickly. The ratio of private charge points to EVs is currently among the top three worldwide, but administrative inefficiencies are hindering growth in public charge points, despite a dynamic market.

Ev Charging Trends and Challenges in Spain

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EV sales penetration in Spain is below the global average but beginning to rise quickly. The ratio of private charge points to EVs is currently among the top three worldwide, but administrative inefficiencies are hindering growth in public charge points, despite a dynamic market.

What are the current main trends around e-mobility in Spain?
       The sales penetration rate for electric vehicles in Spain is 10%. This is below the global average of 16% but now rising quickly thanks to government incentives, both for individuals and companies transitioning fleets to EVs. On the charging side, Spain has launched aid programs to boost the deployment of infrastructure. Subsidies now average 30% per charging point, with maximums per company and region. There are also regulations requiring the installation of charging points at petrol stations, car parks and public buildings.

The main obstacle to charge point deployment isn’t a lack of commitment, but the inefficiency of the installation processes. It can take up to two years to obtain authorization or connect to the network, which has meant that 20-25% of total public charging points already installed cannot operate. As a result, the charging infrastructure is currently well behind the government's target of 100,000 charge points by 2023.

How would you describe key charging habits and demands among consumers? 

EV owners are still largely affluent and use their cars for shorter, local trips. We estimate that 90% of EV owners charge at home or work, which explains Spain’s vehicle-to-point ratio of 0.9 for private charging – among the top three worldwide. The ratio for public charging, though, is 13.4 vehicles per charge point, just better than the global average of 15.9 and significantly inferior to the top-three average of 1.8. As the market matures, the user profile will change – most EV owners will not be able charge privately, increasing the need for public charge points. Some charge-point operators (CPOs), such as Zunder, are developing stations with extra customer services like music and shopping opportunities while vehicles are charging.

Charging infrastructure challenges in Spain
       Similarly to its European neighbors, most of Spain’s public charging infrastructure consisted of alternating current (AC) chargers, which tend to provide slower recharging options than direct current (DC) charging as electric vehicle batteries store power as direct current. In fact, most of Spain’s public AC charging points were medium-speed chargers, with power between 7.4 and 22 kilowatts. Given the growing Spanish electric vehicle fleet, the country’s need for fast-charging solutions could also increase, particularly in areas with a low ratio of charging stations to inhabitants.

Furthermore, nearly 8,900 charging points were inactive at the end of the third quarter of 2023, representing over a quarter of the public charging infrastructure in the country. A third of Spanish consumers reported interest in installing an electric vehicle charging station at home in 2023 . However, a lack of garage space or single-family homes could be one of the largest hurdles to EV home charging, which might increase pressure on an already challenged Spanish charging infrastructure.