With the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), the European Commission has presented a draft proposal on how to ensure sufficient public charging infrastructure in the future. It serves to accompany the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
What exactly does AFIR mean?
AFIR stands for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation and aims to accelerate and standardise the development of charging infrastructure across the EU. The regulation was presented in July 2021 as part of the Green Deal. The goal is a cross-border and user-friendly charging infrastructure in Europe, the use of which should be as simple as possible for consumers. With the draft, the corresponding EU directive (“Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Directive”, AFID) was further developed into a regulation. This is intended to set legally binding targets for all EU member states.
The draft regulation addresses all modes of transport and thus includes charging infrastructures for passenger cars, light and heavy commercial vehicles as well as tank infrastructures for hydrogen, natural gas and shore-side power supply. The following is an excerpt of the main contents of the ordinance.
According to the AFIR, the member states commit to promoting the expansion of publicly accessible charging infrastructure in parallel with the sale of electric vehicles. Thus, a total power of at least 1 kW is to be provided by public charging stations for each battery-electric, light commercial vehicle. In addition, EU member states must ensure that a number of charging stations for heavy-duty vehicles are available at urban hubs. By 2025, 150-kilowatt fast-charging points should be available along major motorways at 60-kilometre intervals, plus one hydrogen refuelling station per 150 kilometres. With these measures, one million charging stations are to be installed by 2025. For 2030, 3.5 million charging stations are envisaged, for 2040 11.4 million and for 2050 16.3 million.
The AFIR also contains provisions to ensure the user-friendliness of the charging infrastructure. Among other things, it regulates payment options, price transparency and consumer information, as well as smart charging. For example, the regulation stipulates that publicly accessible charging stations must use smart metering systems to ensure smart load management during peak load periods.
The draft regulation also ensures that payment at European charging stations will be simplified. Contactless payment with common debit or credit cards should also be possible at every new charging station. The European Commission has recognised that payment at the charging station is an important aspect in the development of a user-friendly charging infrastructure. Simple payment options are intended to make it easier for users to switch to eMobility. The own bank card enables secure and consumer-friendly payment at the charging station without prior registration with a charging service provider.
AFIR creates a framework valid for all EU states and ensures the development of a nationwide, publicly accessible infrastructure for alternative fuels. This is to ensure a sufficient network of charging stations, adequate consumer information and effective integration of vehicles into the electricity grids.
Zero-emission alternatives are on the rise for all modes of transport. Therefore, an agreement at EU level on the AFIR programme is crucial for reducing the CO2 emissions of the European transport sector in line with the EU’s Green Deal.
Nicht alle Arbeitsplätze in der Automobilindustrie sind gefährdet
Jeder siebte Arbeitsplatz in Deutschland befindet sich derzeit in der Automobilindustrie. Mit dem aktuellen Umschwung zur Elektromobilität befürchten viele, dass viele dieser Arbeitsplätze gefährdet sind. Jedoch werden nicht alle Teile eines Autos komplett ersetzt. Auch Elektroautos benötigen Fenster, Türen und eine Klimaanlage. Daher werden nicht alle Jobs für Motoren und Motorenentwicklung wegfallen.
Neue Jobs rund um die Elektromobilität
Die Elektromobilität schafft viele neue Jobs. Experten prognostizieren bis 2030 einen Bedarf von ca. 3 Millionen öffentlichen Ladesäulen und ca. 10 Millionen privaten Ladepunkten auf dem deutschen Elektromobilitätsmarkt. Allein im Bereich der Ladeinfrastruktur und deren Dienstleister und Produzenten werden hunderttausende neue, zukunftssichere Arbeitsplätze geschaffen. Dazu kommen auch noch neue Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten in der Automotive Branche sowie der Batterieherstellung. Die Elektromobilität bietet somit eine Chance für die Automobilindustrie, sich weiterzuentwickeln und neue Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen.
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