‘Euronews Business’ takes a tour of Europe to identify the countries with the cheapest and most expensive public electric vehicle charging rates.
The data of the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) reveal that Iceland and Portugal are among the cheapest places in Europe to charge an electric vehicle (EV) when out and about, while Norway and Slovenia are the most expensive.
France and Germany, two of the continent’s largest economies, were among a number of countries, including Croatia, Italy, Denmark and Sweden, whose public EV charging rates were around the European average.
For standardize researchthe calculations were based on a typical direct current (DC) fast charging session for a Tesla Model 3, the second most popular EV in Europe, after the Tesla Model Y.
The researchers established a time of 25 minutes to recharge the battery from 10% to 80% at public charging points. The price data was obtained directly from the charging point operators.
Iceland is the cheapest country
Iceland was the cheapest country in Europe to charge the Tesla Model Y, with a cost of 2.89 euros per 100 kilometersslightly ahead of Portugal, where drivers have to shell out 3.18 euros to cover the same distance. Finland is in third place.where drivers pay 4.63 euros for DC fast charging.
Although a small market, Iceland has strongly embraced EVs, with significant penetration, particularly in its capital, Reykjavík. Its abundant renewable energy resources have contributed to reducing the price of recharging these vehicles.
Norway was by far the most expensive place in Europe, with a fare to travel 100 kilometers about six times higher than that of Iceland -a whopping 18.93 euros-, which represents a price difference of 16.04 euros. Slovenia was the second most expensive country, with a rate of 17.02 euros.
Prices varied in southern Europe: Spain was the cheapest, with 7.11 eurosafter Portugal. Bulgaria (7.34 euros), Italy (9.12 euros), Greece (9.83 euros), Malta (9.83 euros) and Cyprus (9.83 euros) were between 2 and 3 euros from the average regional.
Germany and France were among the countries in northern and central Europe whose rates were between 7 and 10 euros. Estonia and Germany were the most expensive countries of the group, with prices of 9.99 and 8.93 euros per 100 kilometers, closely followed by Denmark, with 8.81 euros.
Motorists traveling through France they have to pay 7.26 eurossomewhat less than its neighbors on the other side of the English Channel, the United Kingdom, where drivers must pay 7.79 euros. In Austria, the rate was 7.88 euros.
Energy economists believe that disparities in charging costs in Europe can be attributed to several factorssuch as the source of electricity, taxes and government policies.
Countries with abundant renewable resources tend to have lower costs. In contrast, countries with high taxes, network fees or dependence on expensive importslike Denmark and Germany, have higher prices.
More public charging points than ever
Netherlands takes the lead of Europe with more than 154,000 public charging points, which reflects the firm commitment of this country to the adoption of EVs and its willingness to invest in vital infrastructure for them.
Germany and France have extensive public charging networks, with more than 125,000 points in both countries. Germany is the second countrybehind the Netherlands, with 130,828, while France is in third place with 127,530, according to EAFO data.
Germany, Europe’s largest automobile market, has rapidly increased its adoption rate of EVs, which accounted for more than 25% of car sales new in 2023.
ADVERTISINGEAFO figures for 2024 suggest that the trend is reversing, as 184,000 EVs sold In the first half of this year they represent a 16.4% decrease compared to the same period of the previous year.
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