Europe’s EV transition advances but structural barriers remain

Europe made further progress towards electric vehicle adoption during the second quarter of 2026, but inadequate charging infrastructure, high energy costs and significant regional disparities continue to hamper the transition, according to new research highlighted by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

The latest quarterly analysis from Transport & Mobility Leuven (TML) found that EU public charging capacity reached 41.6 GW by June 2026, an increase of 29% compared with the same period last year.

The number of public charging stations also increased by 21% year-on-year to an estimated 195,082 in May, contributing to approximately 1.2 million public charging points across the EU.

However, this remains significantly below the European Commission’s target of 3.5 million charging points by 2030, highlighting the scale of investment still required as EV adoption increases.

Infrastructure deployment also varies considerably between countries. According to the report, Italy, Czechia, Poland, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria have some of the largest gaps between the availability of EV charging stations and conventional fuel stations.

BEV cost competitiveness improves

The research also found that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) became relatively more cost-competitive for drivers relying exclusively on public fast charging compared with the second quarter of 2025.

However, TML cautioned that the improvement was not primarily the result of falling electricity or charging costs. Instead, a 17% year-on-year rise in petrol prices was identified as the biggest factor improving the relative economics of BEVs.

Significant differences also remain depending on how consumers are able to charge their vehicles.

Public charging remains more expensive than home charging across all of the countries analysed, with fast public charging particularly costly. This means drivers without access to private home charging continue to face a financial disadvantage when switching to an EV.

Energy costs challenge European manufacturing

High electricity prices are also creating challenges for the competitiveness of Europe’s automotive manufacturing sector.

Despite some narrowing of the gap compared with the first half of 2025, industrial electricity prices in the EU remain almost twice those in China and approximately 2.5 times higher than in the US, according to the analysis.

This creates a particular challenge for energy-intensive EV and battery production as European manufacturers seek to compete with international rivals while investing heavily in the transition to zero-emission vehicles.

Overall, the Q2 findings show that improvements in individual measures have yet to produce a fundamental change in the conditions supporting mass-market electrification.

Charging provision remains insufficient and unevenly distributed, while high electricity costs and substantial differences between home and public charging continue to influence the economics of EV ownership.

TML has developed the quarterly analysis for ACEA as part of work to establish key performance indicators measuring the European automotive sector’s progress towards zero-emission mobility. The indicators are also set to form part of an interactive dashboard designed to provide policymakers and industry with ongoing insight into the transition.