Europe passes two big laws to make EV charging a whole lot better
The European Parliament adopted a set of rules today to improve the EV charging experience, focusing on easier payments, charging speed, and availability. In a separate move, the UK government is also currently proposing new rules for easier payments and charging station reliability.
Both sets of rules stand to improve the EV charging experience for Europeans and possibly the rest of the world.
Public charging has gotten a lot of attention lately as electric car sales continue to grow rapidly. Charging station operators are rushing to install chargers along major routes, trying to keep up with increasing demand from a ballooning EV fleet.
This has led to some issues in various territories, with confusing payment systems, less-than-desired charger reliability, and a lack of high-speed charging along some routes.
EU will mandate 400-600 kW charging every 60 km
Today, the European Parliament made a big move to improve the experience by approving new rules as part of its “Fit for 55” package, intended to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030. These regulations focus on expanding access to fast EV charging networks by mandating minimum speeds and distances between charging stations.
The rules cover Europe’s “TEN-T core network,” the main arterial road networks that cover all of Europe, comparable to the US interstate highway system.
Europe will mandate that, along these primary routes, chargers with at least 400 kW output must be placed at least every 60 km by 2026. In 2028, the minimum output will increase to 600 kW.
There are additional rules for truck and bus charging, with charging points required every 120 km at an output of 1.4-2.8 MW, depending on the road.
By 2027, Europe will develop a public database of these charging stations with information on availability, wait times, and pricing for different stations, regardless of network.
Beyond these charge station mandates, the new rules also mandate simpler charger payments. As-is, some networks require subscriptions or app downloads. But under these rules, customers must be able to pay with cards or contactless devices, and prices must be displayed to the customer.
Unrelated to EV charging, the EU also mandated cleaner maritime fuels, targeting an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas by 2050 and a requirement to use shore power while in ports. Both rules passed with massive majorities in the European Parliament.
UK wants to mandate 99% charging station reliability
Separately, the UK government has proposed rules focusing on charging experiences within the UK.
The headline feature of these rules is a mandate for 99% charging station reliability in the UK. According to a 2017 survey, 15% of EV charging stations in the UK were out of service, decreasing to 8% in 2019. The UK wants to lower this number to 1%.
Requiring 99% reliability could have benefits outside of the UK, as charging station manufacturers and station operators will have to step up their game and develop protocols for better reliability. The more territories that focus on reliability, the more likely these benefits might also bleed over to the ones that don’t.
The Netherlands has led the way in this respect with a 99% reliability target of its own, and the UK government specifically pointed to the Dutch as a reason for its 99% target.
This reliability focus comes with a requirement that charging station operators must provide a 24-hour helpline for when things go south.
In addition to the reliability mandates, the UK rules would adopt payment and database requirements that are similar to the EU rules, mandating per-kWh pricing, price displays, contactless payments, and live data on charge point availability. However, they only apply to fast chargers of 8 kW or above – slower public AC chargers are exempt.
These UK rules haven’t been officially adopted yet, but once they are, they will take one year to go into force. So the UK might get its rules before the EU if the government moves quickly enough.
Electrek’s Take
This is a good step forward, not just for Europeans but for electric car drivers everywhere. Big moves like this tend to spread, as can be seen with the similarities between EU and UK rules on charging and the UK’s specific callout of the Netherlands in its reliability target. So perhaps some of these requirements will percolate to other areas, and maybe we’ll get a little more charger reliability here in the US as a result.
Europe already has a simpler charging network than the US, as their chargers all rely on the same plug, Mennekes Type 2. Here in the US, we have two competing plugs – SAE CCS and Tesla Supercharger. This is one reason why Tesla could open up Superchargers to other cars in the EU earlier than in the US.
However, that’s changing in the US now that everyone is rushing to adopt Tesla’s NACS standard.
But Tesla has opposed pricing displays in the past. In 2020, California wanted to force manufacturers to display prices on stations, but Tesla’s minimalist Supercharger designs did not include a screen. Thus, the company opposed the idea. Tesla argued that since only its cars used its chargers and it can display all that information on the in-car display, it shouldn’t need to retrofit every charger with a display.
We expect there might be similar wrangling with the EU and UK rules, but the EU government has shown itself to be significantly less interested in tech industry lobbying than the US governments seem to be (see: Apple USB-C charging requirement, Meta GDPR fine, etc.). So Tesla may have its work cut out for it if it wants to convince the EU to let it keep its chargers looking the same.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Kia owners were supposed to get access to Tesla Superchargers on January 15, but that timeline was recently delayed. Some owners had figured out a loophole to charge, but it turns out, that loophole is now closed.
It’s been a busy time for the North American EV industry’s transition to NACS, the charging standard originally advanced by Tesla and now standardized by SAE.
We’ve recently seen several brands added to the “coming soon” list, and even beyond that, VW and Honda have both made their own announcements that access is coming soon.
But this past couple weeks were supposed to be even busier, with Kia having previously planned to roll out Supercharger access on January 15th, according to an announcement the company made back in September. Unfortunately there was a delay, and Kia owners will have to wait until later this quarter for official support.
In the meantime, though, owners had found that you could trick the system into letting you charge by telling it that you have a Hyundai. Hyundai and Kia both build their EVs on the same E-GMP platform, so there are a lot of similarities between them.
Kia, like Hyundai, is also in the process of shipping some of the first vehicles with a native NACS port, with the 2025 EV6 including a native NACS port, much like the 2025 Ioniq 5 does. So this similarity seemed to be able to trick the Supercharger network, and Kia EV6s could charge on it for a little while, assuming use of a third-party adapter.
Last week, we reported on this loophole, and were hearing of many owners who had success charging.
But that method no longer works, according to several Kia owners. Now, when attempting to charge at a Tesla Supercharger with an EV6 and adapter, the Tesla app will tell you “Unknown error occurred – Your vehicle is not able to charge at Superchargers at this time.” This has been confirmed to be the case even on Supercharger sites that were previously working.
Probably one of the reasons for this is the use of third-party adapters. While third-party adapters are available, manufacturers are always wary when owners use non-verified equipment – especially when it’s related to the most expensive part of the car, the battery.
Kia themselves told us that “warranty coverage may be impacted by use of a third party or aftermarket adapter, and we expect to have our authorized version available in late Q1 2025” when we contacted them about our previous article (though we’re not sure how that would shake out legally – there are a lot of laws covering car warranties and what can and cannot void them).
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen some mix-ups with Supercharger access. Last November, Tesla announced that Nissan cars had access to Superchargers, but it turned out they jumped the gun. Everything is hunky-dory now for Nissan, and it seems like a bunch of new brands will gain access in the coming months, but we expect a few more fits and starts along the way (chaos tends to happen when you fire the whole Supercharger team for no reason).
But, once EV6s do gain access to Superchargers, we expect to see them show exceptional charge performance. The EV6’s cousin, the Ioniq 5, recently showed that it can charge faster than a Tesla, even on Tesla’s home turf. The EV6 should be able to accomplish similar feats, once it is unleashed onto North America’s biggest charging network.
If you’re looking to buy one of the fastest-charging EVs on the road today, use our link to check local dealers and get in line for when they get the new 2025 Kia EV6s in stock.
But when you’re charging at *home*, charge your electric vehicle using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Jaguar Land Rover’s investment arm InMotion Ventures has invested $2 million in rare earth magnets recycling company Cyclic Materials, bringing its Series B funding round to $55 million.
Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion Ventures has invested in a range of technologies including supply chain traceability, battery repair, reuse and recycling, and now, rare earth magnets recycling.
“Cyclic Materials is leading the way in creating a sustainable supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and critical materials,” said Mike Smeed, managing director at InMotion Ventures. “Their innovative technologies address a vital need for rare earth magnets recycling, supporting the automotive industry’s transition toward a cleaner and more resilient future.”
Cyclic Materials says it will use the investment to accelerate the expansion of its operations across North America and Europe, boost its processing capabilities, and refine its recycling technologies.
This Series B extension builds on Cyclic Materials’ earlier $53 million round that already has the backing of BMWi, Microsoft, and Hitachi.
Rare earth magnet recycling
Rare earth magnets are a type of permanent magnet made from alloys of REEs, which are part of a set of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table. Rare earth magnets, particularly neodymium magnets, are essential in electric traction motors in EVs. Their strong magnetic fields help deliver high performance and efficiency, which extend an EV’s driving range and reduce battery load.
Rare earth magnets can also be found in everything from data centers and wind turbines to cell phones and power tools.
However, less than 1% of REEs are currently recycled, while the global demand already exceeds supply and is projected to grow threefold by 2030. Ontario-based Cyclic Materials says its proprietary MagCycle and REEPure technologies recycle REEs from a wide range of end-of-life products, establishing a circular supply chain for recycled Mixed Rare Earth Oxides.
Read more: Solar overtakes coal in the EU, and gas declines for 5th year running
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Nissan plans to buy 20 GWh of batteries from SK On, enough to power around 300,000 EVs to be sold in the US. However, after delaying EV production in the US again, when will the new EVs finally arrive?
Nissan revealed plans to invest $500 million in its Canton, Mississippi, plant almost three years ago to prepare the facility for its newest electric vehicles.
Production was initially set to begin in Canton this year, but Nissan pushed the start date back until 2026 last January with concerns over profitability and EV demand. According to the Madison County Journal, the company is now pushing the start date until 2028.
Just yesterday, an Automotive News report claimed Nissan was also canceling plans to build a smaller electric SUV in the US. The SUV was expected to sit between the LEAF and Ariya.
The smaller electric SUV was expected to be the fifth EV built in Canton, following a pair of Nissan and Infiniti electric sedans. Nissan spokesperson Brian Brockman said the company was focusing on other, more profitable projects that would see more demand.
Nissan to buy batteries from SK On for new EVs in the US
Despite the delays, the automaker is still expanding its supply chain in the US to prepare for the upcoming EVs.
A Nikkei report on Thursday claimed that Nissan secured a battery supply from SK On for EV models sold in the US. Nissan agreed to buy 20 GWh of batteries, or enough to power roughly 300,000 EVs.
The automaker will reportedly begin installing the new SK-supplied batteries by 2028, which is when it plans to start building EVs in the US.
Nissan’s battery supply deal comes as the company looks to establish a domestic supply chain for EVs in the US.
Although Nissan announced plans to team up with Honda in December to keep pace with EV leaders like BYD and Tesla, it doesn’t expect to realize any substantial benefits until around 2030.
Nissan Motor’s, including Infiniti’s, US market share has dropped 2.1% over the past five years to just 5.8%. In 2024, the automaker sold just over 31,000 electric vehicles in the US, including roughly 20,000 Ariya models and 11,000 LEAFs.
Honda, which began delivering the Prologue just last March based on GM’s Ultium platform, sold over 33,000 models last year.
The new battery supply deal is a start, but in 2028, Nissan will face an influx of new EV models with which it will have to compete.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway