ACEA — 2026-09-09
News from Brussels
Europe could save more than €10.6 billion in electricity grid investment by making smarter use of existing grid capacity as electric vehicle uptake grows according to modelling conducted by Siemens. The study was commissioned jointly by EIT Urban Mobility, ChargeUp Europe and ACEA and it estimates that €24.7 billion in electricity distribution grid investment would be required by 2030 to accommodate projected electric vehicle (EV) growth. Under its intelligent EV load management scenario, this requirement could drop to around €14.1 billion.
The study, Electricity Grids in Europe, assesses how the projected uptake of battery electric passenger cars and light duty vehicles could affect electricity distribution grids across the EU27 and three EEA countries. Based on six urban archetypes, the model was applied across 64 urban centres to estimate how investment, digitalisation and flexibility can prepare Europe’s electricity networks for the transition to zero emission mobility in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
The study examines the role of EV Load Management meaning the near-real-time control of electric vehicle charging power to prevent grid overload during periods of peak electricity demand, including the measurement and communications infrastructure required for this purpose. Combined with grid digitalisation, smart charging allows electricity networks to make better use of existing capacity, reducing reinforcement needs while supporting the reliable integration of millions of electric vehicles. However, it does not remove the need for physical grid reinforcement.
Electric vehicle adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly over the coming years. By 2030, according to Siemens ramp-up model, battery electric vehicles are projected to account for 27.3% of Sweden’s passenger car fleet, 15.7% in Germany, 4.6% in Italy, 4.5% in Spain and 2.5% in Poland, representing growth of between 3.4 and 5.3 times compared with 2024 levels. The electrification of commercial transport is expected to gather pace even faster in several markets. For light duty vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEV) market share is projected to reach 22.7% in Sweden, 9.1% in Germany and 5.9% in Poland, with Poland’s electric van fleet expected to grow almost tenfold over the period. As logistics operators increasingly electrify their fleets to meet climate targets and urban air quality objectives, ensuring electricity grids can support depot and commercial vehicle charging will become increasingly important.
The analysis also indicates that where and when vehicles charge has a significant effect on local grid demand. By modelling residential, workplace, public, en route and depot charging separately, the study shows that around 55–62% of EV owners in the representative cities are expected to have access to residential charging by 2030, underscoring the growing importance of low voltage distribution grids in Europe’s electrification. This is a model assumption based on housing data and expected EV adoption, with the range reflecting differences across Stockholm, Munich, Barcelona, Rome, Kiel and Kraków. The finding reinforces the importance of coordinating charging infrastructure deployment with local grid planning.
Among the study’s key findings:
The study examines the role of EV Load Management meaning the near-real-time control of electric vehicle charging power to prevent grid overload during periods of peak electricity demand, including the measurement and communications infrastructure required for this purpose.