According to a study by the economic research center OBS on electromobility in Spain, Spain’s public charging station infrastructure is among the most expensive in Europe. The report published this Thursday shows, as an example, that charging a vehicle’s battery from 10% to 80% at a fast or super fast charging station in Spain costs between 4.19 and 36.51 euros, while in Portugal the price is between 1.4 and 15.76 euros fluctuates; that is, a difference of 132%.
This is due to the lack of interoperability of the points of the Spanish network, where each operator applies its own tariffs, a situation that does not occur in Portugal or other European countries, where cooperation between the different installers is a prerequisite for participation. in building the infrastructure.
According to the study, the higher price, together with the lack of control and monitoring of the efficiency of the charging points that receive public subsidies, reduces their average use, as the trade association for the development and promotion of electric mobility (Aedive) puts it at 5.7%.
The organization says there were 25,106 public charging points in the first half of 2023, although another 6,800 are still inactive. The Spanish government has committed to installing 100,000 switches in 2023 to meet the targets agreed with the European Union, which would require multiplying the current number on urban roads four times.
Sales of electric cars are progressing in Spain
The study shows that registrations of electric vehicles increased in the first half of the year, while only those of diesel engines decreased. Non-plug-in hybrids accounted for 30% of registrations; This is followed by plug-in hybrids with 6.3% and pure electric cars with 4.7%, with petrol engines still leading the way with a share of 43.4%.
In addition, sales of plug-in electric vans increased to 5,098 units in the first half of 2023, above the figure for the full year 2022, when 4,956 vehicles were reached.
Sales of electric trucks and buses skyrocketed, making Spain one of the most important European markets for this type of vehicle.
The OBS study points out that there is still a long way to go to achieve electric car penetration goals and warns that the price of these cars is hindering the improvement in environmental indices.
According to OBS, the best-selling electric vehicles are the most expensive and polluting from a production perspective because they are heavier and require more energy and raw materials in their manufacturing process. For this reason, it recommends expanding the number of alternatives on the market, reducing the bureaucracy in granting funding and advancing the process of decarbonizing the economy.
2.3 million vehicles were sold worldwide in the first quarter of the year, 25% more than in the same period last year.
