How Europe’s motorists and innovators are powering the EV revolution

Discover adoption rates, consumer concerns, and the challenges of charging infrastructure as Europe aims for a carbon-neutral car fleet by 2035…

Europe is aiming to become climate-neutral by 2050. Its European Green Deal sets out a bold environmental vision for the continent, which includes transitioning to a carbon-zero car fleet by 2035.

As of now, there’s a long way to go. Currently, 91.4% of the 297 million vehicles in Europe are petrol or diesel-powered. In most markets, the share of electric vehicles (EVs) is just 4% or less. EU Car Fuel Breakdown (2024):

• Petrol: 50.6%
• Diesel: 40.8%
• Electric: 1.2%
• Other (including hybrids): 7.4%

However, change is coming. In terms of new car registrations, non-CO2 vehicles are now in the majority. In July 2024, for example, battery-electric cars accounted for 12.1 % of the EU car market, while hybrid-electric vehicles accounted for 32 %. The combined share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 46%. Overall, since the beginning of 2024, more than 875,000 new full battery electric vehicles have been sold across the continent.

The EV revolution: what do motorists think?

In its Mobility Consumer Pulse Survey report, business consultancy McKinsey quizzed 15,034 individuals in France, Germany, Italy, and Norway on the transition to electric motoring. Overall, the study revealed a population that are open to the idea of alternative fuel options.

Highlight findings:

• 38% of people say their next vehicle will be electric
• Almost 80% of European car buyers in the survey expect to get an EV in the future
• The ‘early adopter’ stereotype of EV owners is changing. The next wave of buyers may include more older consumers with comparatively lower budgets

This is encouraging. However, the McKinsey report also notes several concerns. It says that, while almost 80 % of European car buyers expect to get an EV in the future, 22% remain sceptical about these vehicles. Among prospective buyers who do not yet own an EV, the main concerns are vehicle price, driving range, battery lifetime, electricity prices and availability of public charging infrastructure.

Concerns among drivers who do not yet own an EV*

• Purchase price 37%
• Driving range 36%
• Battery life 35%
• Electricity price 28%
• Available charging stations 28%
• Battery decommissioning 21%
• Batter safety 21%
• Total cost of ownership 20%
• Plans for long trips 18%
• Inability to charge at home 16%
• Green concerns 16 %
• Resale value 15%

Source: McKinsey

The charging challenge

Range and charging issues may be a barrier to more adoption. In the McKinsey survey, 29% of respondents said they are concerned about the impact of charging on longer-distance trips, with all the anxiety and the extra planning that this may bring. Improvements in battery tech should alleviate these worries. Major automotive companies have already announced next-generation EV batteries designed to achieve a 1,000-km range. But as things stand, the priority is giving all drivers plentiful places to re-charge. In other words, charging infrastructure.
 
At the end of 2023, there were 632,423 public charging points available across the EU. There is general agreement that this is not enough. Indeed, over the past seven years, sales of EVs have significantly outpaced the growth of the charging point network. Between 2017 and 2023, electric car sales increased over 18 times, while the number of public chargers in the EU grew six fold. 

This might explain why the McKinsey research found that 40% of current EV owners in Europe believe the number of public EV charge points is insufficient. It’s not just the total that’s a problem. The network is also unevenly distributed. Currently, just three countries – the Netherlands, France, and Germany – are home to almost two-thirds (61 %) of public charging points. Then there’s charging speed. This is also a major issue, as fast chargers (with a capacity of more than 22kW) make up a fraction of the EU total. Only around one in seven of all chargers (13.5%) is capable of fast charging. The majority are ‘normal’ chargers, with a capacity of 22kW or less. To improve things, the European Commission is calling for 3.5 million charging points to be installed by 2030. That means nearly 2.9 million more installations in the next seven years. However, the ACEA thinks even this estimate is too low. It says the bloc will need 8.8 million charging points by 2030. 

Charging infrastructure: tech innovation to the rescue?

The Mobilize PowerBox, developed by Orange, Renault Group, STMicroelectronics and Thales promises to make the installation of new charging points at homes and businesses much quicker and simpler. The Mobilize PowerBox charging point will soon be available in the Renault network for all Renault Group brand electric vehicles. The initial production capacity is 65,000 units a year. The first hurdle Powerbox overcomes is the lack of standardisation in electrical installations. PowerBox adapts to all installations, whether single-phase or three-phase. It can be erected indoors or outdoors, on a wall or on a stand. Whatever the context, its dynamic energy management modulates the charging power according to the power available, thus avoiding tripping the system. It can deliver charging power of up to 22 kW and is compatible with all electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles fitted with a type 2 socket. 

Interestingly, the Mobilize PowerBox  comprises a bi-directional charger that charges the vehicle, but can also send electricity back to the home network and to the public grid. It means the car owners can plug in when electricity is the least carbon-intensive and cheapest. Conversely, the car can be discharged at times when the electricity supply is low. This V2G (vehicle to grid) feature is important when the grid is supplied by renewables with unpredictable outputs. Finally, PowerBox offers a variety of features that make the charging experience much easier for motorists. For example, it incorporates an RFID card reader to ensure that only authorised users have access to charging. It also links to an app that can lock access and inform the driver when the charging is complete.

The car that makes the payment

The next wave of charging innovation could focus on the payment process. The next step is surely to give the EV user a single subscription from one provider – similar to a mobile phone contract. The emerging ISO 15118 vehicle to grid standard makes this more likely. It allows for cars and charging stations to be assigned unique digital identities. 
 

This promises to bring about a major leap forward: when the EV has its own unique ID, the car itself can make the payment on behalf of the driver. Companies such as Thales as already developing this capability. It’s using its Trusted Key Manager technology to create digital identities, develop cryptographic-based credentials for mutual authentication between stakeholders, and build in encryption to lock out hackers. Meanwhile, on the connectivity side, it’s using its eSIM platform to ensure the car itself can always connect to the network.