More than 13,000 electric vehicle charging points in Spain are not working

The electric vehicle market in Spain is developing at a slower pace than the Spanish government had set for its 2030 agenda deadline. In July, 10,002 units were sold, an increase of 117.6% compared to the previous year. That constitutes 8.4% of the total number of cars sold for that month.

This brought the total to 62,514 zero-emission cars registered so far this year in Spain, 83.8% more than in 2024, representing 7.4% of all vehicle registrations for the year. These figures, although increasing considerably, are still far from the levels seen in other European countries. For example, Germany, which is the largest automotive market in Europe, is at around 18%.

The reasons are various and interrelated, but one of the keys seems to lie in the charging infrastructure. According to Faconauto's latest publication, based on the REVE map of charging points - coordinated by the Ministry of Ecological Transition in Madrid - there are 43,559 public charging stations in operation.

This represents an increase of 7.7% compared to the previous quarter and 35.2% compared to last year. At the end of 2024, there were 459,225 electric cars on Spanish roads - this figure rises to almost 600,000 if motorbikes and commercial vehicles are included - which means there is one charging point for every 10.5 cars on average.

Figures from Faconauto, which represents the interests of official vehicle dealer networks in Spain, reveal another reality: there are 13,072 charging points that have been installed but are inoperative, something that the industry claims is due to bureaucratic hurdles when activating them.

High-power charging points, those between 50 and 250 kW, saw an 18.5% increase in such points. Those over 250 kW, which significantly reduce charging times and are essential for long-distance road travel, also grew by 20.2%. In total, there are now more than 4,000 charging points over 150 kW in operation on public roads, 8.6% of the total.

Looking at the figures by region, Catalonia has the most public charging points: 9,125. It is followed by Madrid (4,973) and Andalucía (4,676). According to Faconauto's president, Marta Blázquez, "the infrastructure is advancing, but concrete measures are needed to expedite its deployment and eliminate the barriers that limit electrification."

Her association argues that there are three main challenges: a high proportion of non-operational charging points (22% of the total), a lack of high-power chargers and a considerable inequality across the country, with some areas and roads being clearly prioritised when it comes to installing charging points.