Electric mobility is essential to achieving zero-emission mobility and liveable cities – alongside walking, cycling, shared mobility and public transport. But its success depends on charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable and adequate in its coverage.
Cities across Europe face similar challenges in rolling out charging networks, from coordination and planning to equity and public space use.
This guidebook brings together research and real city experiences to offer a practical, step-by-step approach to delivering fair and future-proof charging infrastructure.
Adopt and maintain a Charging Masterplan that backcasts from the city’s mobility, energy and climate goals, uses local spatial analysis and scenarios, and treats grid capacity as a core siting constraint.
Establish accountable governance, with clear decision-making routines across departments, the distribution network operator(s) and delivery partners.
Treat shared cars, urban logistics and municipal fleets as priority charging cases, as they create predictable utilisation and can accelerate wider network viability.
Start with demand-led rollout, then shift to planning-led deployment as the network matures, using utilisation, grid and equity data to refine locations and charger types.
Define a clear mix for private, semi-public and public charging. Use city investment and public space only where needed, and require contracts to ensure balanced rollout, step-free access, transparent pricing, service quality, and data sharing.
Get a practical, step-by-step framework for planning and delivering electric vehicle charging infrastructure in cities.
