Portugal will need to invest around €15 billion in 76,000 new electric vehicle charging points to meet the targets by 2050, according to a study released by Mobi.E, the public electric vehicle charging network.
The study “Charging Infrastructure to Support the Energy Transition of Mobility in Portugal” predicts that by 2025, over nine thousand charging points will be created, and by 2050, over 76 thousand charging points will be established, totaling more than 80 thousand points.
Regarding the investment value, an application of capital of around €1.7 billion is expected by 2050 to comply with the European regulation “Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation” (AFIR). “This investment will enable an additional saving of 3.3 million tons of CO2, with an estimated economic benefit of 1.9 billion euros,” states the Mobi.E study.
The study also addresses the creation of a national hydrogen refueling network, for which it is estimated that 37 refueling stations will be required by 2030, representing an investment of approximately 219 million euros.
“As a public instrument for the development of sustainable mobility, it is our responsibility to provide the fastest growth of a comprehensive network throughout the country, in order to increasingly facilitate the energy transition, but also to contribute with information and knowledge that allows making the most accurate decisions in this process,” emphasizes Luís Barroso, President of Mobi.E, quoted in the study.
By 2050, a total of 7,750 fast charging points and 10,200 ultra-fast charging points will be installed. Currently, the average percentage of fast and ultra-fast charging stations in Portugal is 37%, a value that is above the European average of 20%. Regarding charging points for heavy vehicles, the study predicts that an additional 1,588 will be installed by 2050.
Another relevant data presented in the study is the power of the network, which is currently 216 MW (above the necessary value of 195 MW), but with a forecast to reach 1,230 MW by 2030 and 3,320 MW by 2050.
In order to demystify some of the concepts associated with electric mobility, the study also explains that for vehicles with a range of 300km, only about two charges per month are needed (considering an average distance of 20km per day) or six times per month in suburban or rural areas (where the average distance traveled per day is 60km).
In other words, the study demonstrates that it is not necessary to have a charging point for each accommodation, but rather one charger for every 10 housing units in urban areas, or 2 chargers for every 10 housing units in suburban and rural areas. According to ACEA data integrated in the study, it is also worth considering that the percentage of charges made at public charging stations is 67% in cities, 52% in suburban areas, and 57% in rural areas.”
