The development of a public network of charging points is essential to reduce the dependence on charging in private garages, since in Spain – unlike in other countries – 65% of vehicles do not have this option. Achieving an accessible and equitably distributed infrastructure, similar to the current infrastructure at service stations for traditional fuels, which guarantees the necessary coverage in areas with the highest traffic and in rural areas, would facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles and a fair energy transition that reaches the entire population, and would also avoid inequalities due to geographical location and income level.
This is one of the conclusions of the recent Energy Spaces conference. This is an initiative promoted by Cepsa to encourage active listening, the exchange of knowledge and the building of consensus between different actors involved in the energy transition. Politicians from different political parties, representatives from all levels of government, academic experts and entrepreneurs participated in the session.
Network map
Notable among the proposals submitted was the creation of a state map that identifies a basic network of public charging points on the road and that these are also visible in the different apps of the other operators’ points; in such a way, that it allows access to all the information about the availability and status of the network, a solution that already exists in Portugal.
The forum also highlighted the need to include charging infrastructure in general urban planning and consider them assets of general interest or public utility.
Aids and incentives
A series of formulas were also proposed to reduce the price of electric vehicles. Firstly, reforming the aid system by returning to systems such as the Renove Plan, allowing the discount to be applied directly to dealerships. This formula would help to increase the benefit and social perception of the aid.
Another proposal was to design new incentives for the acquisition of electric vehicles, direct aid for companies that promote sustainable mobility for their fleets and workers. Solutions such as social leasing, following the example of France, or public carsharing were also proposed.
Streamlining bureaucracy
Among the major consensuses reached was the need to streamline the processing and standardise the authorisation processes between autonomous communities and the different levels of the Administration for charging points and the granting of purchase aid.
Participants also shared the importance of simplifying administrative procedures for the installation of charging points and the creation of a one-stop shop, as essential to unify and streamline processes that would allow for greater efficiency and transparency in the procedures, facilitating investment in charging infrastructure and eliminating bureaucratic barriers that currently slow down the deployment of charging points by up to two years, when the construction time is two weeks.
It was also considered necessary to speed up the bureaucratic management of the reinforcement of the capacity of the electricity grid where greater demand is projected.
Spain, far from achieving electromobility goals
The adoption of electric mobility in Spain is still very limited. In 2023, only 12% of vehicles sold were electrified, far from the 21% of the European average, reaching only 1.2% of the total fleet of passenger cars.
There are currently more than 30,000 charging points in place, of which only around 2,000 are fast or ultra-fast, which is a significant barrier to long-distance travel and for users without home charging.
Today, vehicles are parked 96% of the time and in large cities the time spent looking for a parking space can account for up to 25% of the time of use. Electric mobility is accelerating a non-ownership-based model (MaaS, Mobility as a Service), which relieves traffic congestion, frees up the use of public space in cities and reduces emissions.
Energy Spaces
At this forum, part of Cepsa’s Positive Motion strategy, the company brings together institutional leaders, experts and members of civil society to debate and generate solutions that drive the transformation towards a more sustainable energy model.