Despite Europe dropping the ban on cars with internal combustion engines in 2035, it is still important to keep our eyes on Flanders' needed EV charging network mapped out thanks to the ERDF project.
However, this still leaves two important questions:
A first major challenge is the electricity grid itself. Grid load will increase significantly in the coming years due to electrification. Fluvius expects a sharp rise in pressure on the network. The number of requests for heavy connections to the transmission grid quadrupled between 2020 and 2025.
As a result, 16 of Flanders’ 235 power zones (transformer stations) are currently facing grid congestion. At the same time, total electricity demand in Flanders is expected to rise rapidly, by up to 30% in the coming years, according to current forecasts.
Grid operators Fluvius and Elia are working on solutions and have announced accelerated investments to expand grid capacity. Elia, for example, plans to invest around 2.6 billion euros in the Flemish high-voltage grid over the next five years. Since March, the following action plan has been in place:
Short-term solutions with the 'Fallback Flex' product.
Flexible connection contracts on the distribution grid
Additional capacity on the high-voltage grid
Optimization of distribution grid operations
Additional investments to keep the grid on track
In parallel, the Flemish government has set up an ad hoc working group with grid operators, the regulator, and the administration. This group developed a new concept note outlining action points and proposals for additional measures.
At the same time, the market for charging station manufacturers will also need to deliver solutions that allow charging to take place more intelligently, especially during periods of excess capacity. Increasingly, energy buffers will also play a role, helping to limit the capacity required during peak moments.
A second major challenge is the profitability of charging infrastructure. Today, an average fast-charging point in Flanders generates around 13 MWh of consumption per year. For ultra-fast charging points, this figure is approximately 40 MWh. At these levels, operations are just about profitable, but margins remain limited.
"10% of current charge points may never become profitable in the coming years"
As the market matures, consumption per charging point is expected to increase. Investment in charging infrastructure therefore requires a long-term perspective, with operators prepared to make upfront investments in anticipation of future growth. Even so, an estimated 10% of today’s charging points may never become profitable.
It is therefore crucial to remove as many barriers as possible for charging station operators so they can identify and develop viable business cases. Making more market data accessible plays a key role here, and in this area, Flanders is ahead of many other regions.
One example is the capacity guide launched by Fluvius. This tool provides charging point operators with an initial screening to assess connection possibilities for any plot of land in Flanders. In many other European regions, significant preliminary research costs still apply for each individual location.
The Flemish government has also taken multiple initiatives to inform cities and municipalities about charging needs and opportunities within their territory.
In addition, all available data in Flanders has been integrated by RetailSonar into predictive models, revealing current fast and ultra-fast charging hotspots across the region. This analysis represents a snapshot in time and needs to be updated regularly.
Co-funded by the European Union and Vlaio in the amount of 395k EUR