By the end of 2025 there were 12.3 million electric passenger cars and vans in the EU and electric vehicles represented 27% of all newly registered ones, as reported by the European Alternative Fuels Observatory.
By 2030, around 40 million electric vehicles are expected to circulate in the EU.
Where to charge your electric vehicle?
Cars are parked on average 23 hours per day and by 2030 as much as 60% to 85% of all recharging is expected to take place at private recharging points.
The requirements of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which apply to new constructions and to major renovations, will lead to the installation of more recharging points at home and at the workplace.
Smart recharging allows users of electric vehicles to plan the time of charging according to
- the varying cost of electricity throughout the day
- the share of renewable energy being produced at a given time
- their personal needs
National and local authorities must identify and remove barriers to the installation of recharging points.
Requests for the installation of recharging points may be refused only if there are legitimate grounds.
Climate and health benefits
The electricity used to power electric vehicles is increasingly produced from clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar power or wind energy.
Electric vehicles don’t emit gases when running – which means less air pollution and bigger health gains for all - and they are inherently more energy-efficient than conventional cars.
Moreover, greenhouse gas emissions over the full lifetime of electric cars are significantly lower than for conventional cars running on fossil fuels – even if the electricity used to power them is only partially decarbonised.
Under the revised directive, all parking spaces in new multi-family buildings, and multi-family buildings undergoing major renovation, will be technically prepared for the future installation of recharging points, and all car parks of new multi-family buildings will have at least one recharging point.
Company cars represent a large share of electric vehicles and users of company cars often charge both at home and at the office.
From 30 May 2026, all new office buildings and office buildings undergoing major renovation, will need to have one recharging point for every 2 car parking spaces.
From 30 May 2026, all new non-residential buildings – such as supermarkets, schools or libraries, as well as non-residential buildings undergoing major renovation, need to have a certain number of recharging points. The remaining parking spaces will have to be technically prepared for the future installation of recharging points.
From 1 January 2027, all non-residential buildings with large car parking spaces will need to either have a certain number of recharging points or ducting (empty tubes to later fit cables in). The recharging points can be for fast charging or normal charging or a combination of both. In case ducting already exists for other purposes in the car park, the building owner will not need to do anything.
New rules for car parks
The directive’s requirements apply to new buildings and to buildings undergoing major renovations, that include the car park or the electrical infrastructure.
A major renovation is a renovation of a building which touches considerable parts of the building envelope, for example, works on the façade or renewal of the roof structure. Such a major renovation is a good occasion to improve the energy performance of a building. Therefore, a major renovation triggers the application of several requirements in the directive.
There is a possibility of exemption where the costs for the recharging infrastructure represent more than 10% of the cost of the renovation.
From 30 May 2026, all new multi-family buildings, and multi-family buildings undergoing major renovation, need to have at least 2 bicycle parking spaces per apartment.
From 30 May 2026, all new non-residential buildings, and non-residential buildings undergoing major renovation, need to have bicycle parking spaces proportionate to the number of visitors, including for bikes larger than the standard size.
From January 2027, all existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces, such as schools, offices and supermarkets, need to have bicycle parking spaces proportionate to the number of visitors, including for bikes larger than the standard size.
The number of bicycle parking spaces can be adjusted depending on the type of buildings or local conditions like geography or demographics.
Support at national level
If you – as owner or tenant - wish to install recharging points for electrical vehicles or bicycle parking spaces in your building, there are one-stop shops and national support measures which can assist you with technical assistance and with identifying appropriate financing options.