Rising registration numbers for electric vehicles require action

The growing number of electric cars in Austria also requires greater efforts in the area of charging networks. The Austrian e-mobility specialist SMATRICS recommends a package of measures to avoid bottlenecks.

According to figures published today by Statistics Austria, more than 34,000 electric cars were newly registered in Austria in 2022. "The current data is good news for electromobility and climate protection," says SMATRICS CEO Hauke Hinrichs. Nevertheless, new measures are needed to ensure the continued success of e-mobility.

"If you say E for e-mobility, you also have to say L for charging infrastructure. An adequate and functioning charging infrastructure is the key to a mass market for e-mobility." The expert says that bottlenecks in charging must be avoided at all costs. SMATRICS has developed a number of proposals for this in the 2030 Charging Infrastructure Master Plan.

Accounting standards, tax simplifications and the "right to plug"

Among other things, legally regulated uniform accounting standards are recommended. Due to calibration law and technical circumstances, billing by the minute instead of by kilowatt hours (kWh) is still common – which has disadvantages for customers.

Tax simplifications, for example when charging company cars at home, are necessary to avoid pointless bureaucracy, and this has recently been largely clarified by the Ordinance on Non-Cash Remuneration, which has been in force since January 1, 2023. The "right to plug", i.e. the right to install a charging station in multi-party buildings, should be extended.

Digitization of electricity grids

Connecting e-charging infrastructure to the electricity grid is a major challenge in Austria today. The process from grid request to meter installation is currently handled individually by each distribution system operator. There are often bureaucratic hurdles.

The construction of charging stations should be made easier by standardizing and digitizing processes and rules for distribution system operators throughout Austria, for example via an open data portal where the distribution system infrastructure (transformers, etc.) is generally accessible.

Availability of space and funding for rural areas

Charging stations in locations that are convenient for traffic are key factors for e-mobility. To this end, parking spaces must be equipped accordingly and dedicated to the charging process. Currently, there are hardly any obligations for local authorities and companies to become active and dedicate parking spaces for charging.

Charging stations are also ideal in combination with efficient public transport – for example at Park & Ride car parks. Furthermore, funding programs for charging stations are needed – especially in rural areas, away from main traffic routes, where no profitable utilization can currently be achieved.

"The rollout of e-mobility is progressing. But we need to take more and faster action to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral transport sector within the next decade," says Hinrichs.