Europe’s electric vehicle landscape is rapidly evolving as 2035, the year of the proposed ICE phase-out, draws closer. Policymakers and industry stakeholders face the challenge of fine-tuning incentives to maintain momentum while ensuring cost-effective use of public funds. Using the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) data, this paper provides a benchmarking of EU countries’ progress, spotlighting front-runners and laggards. It highlights the disconnect between ambitious national targets and actual BEV uptake, and explores how shifting market realities are pushing governments to transition from broad subsidies to tailored incentives that address hard-to-reach user segments and vehicle categories. Concrete examples show how some Member States are revamping their policy portfolios to deliver maximum impact, and how sharing best practices can guide others. Ultimately, this study offers actionable insights to help national decision-makers navigate the final stretch towards a sustainable, zero-emission mobility system.
Máté Csukás holds a BSc degree in international businesses and MSc degree in Enterprise Development. He is currently a PhD candidate in Strategic Management in Corvinus University of Budapest. He works as a project manager for FIER Sustainable Mobility. His main responsibility is being the project manager of the European Alternative Fuel Observatory initiative for the European Commission`s DG MOVE. He is a researcher of various fields, including the strategic development of smart cities, inclusive government practices and smart and sustainable polices. He also works as consultant on smart and sustainable mobility, with special focus on electromobility policies and data. He is a task force leader in the Sustainable Transport Forum`s sub-group on best practices of public authorities to support the deployment of recharging infrastructure. He was consultant for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands and Ministries of Luxembourg on assignments regarding charging infrastructure and zero emission heavy duty polices.
Harm Weken is since 1995 managing Partner of FIER Sustainable Mobility, a business development company in the international automotive sector, with a focus on sustainable and electric mobility. Harm is also involved in electric car sharing as co-founder of an electric B2B car sharing platform. Moreover Harm, supports electric mobility initiatives and the academic sector as board member, advisory council member and in scientific reviewing committees at universities and electric mobility foundations, in Europe and abroad. The core of the work of Harm and his company FIER, is (EU and national) project initiation and business development in electric mobility for private companies, public authorities, and consortia. During recent years, the focus has been on: Stimulating electric vehicle (EV) uptake in fleet; Effectiveness of national EV incentives and policies; Stimulating electric trucks in distribution and inner-city freight and Electric car sharing and smart charging infrastructure.
Edwin Bestebreurtje MSc is partner and senior consultant of FIER Sustainable Mobility. Edwin has been specialized in business development projects in the automotive and mobility sector. He was responsible as project manager for developing the Automotive Campus in Helmond and project manager in European projects on (e-) mobility, such as SolutionsPlus, ENEVATE, I-CVUE and FREVUE. Edwin is also active in the field of research on EV uptake related to stimulation policies and strategies on recharging infrastructure and as coach for individual organisations in their transition towards sustainable mobility. Currently Edwin is responsible for the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) which is THE knowledge platform for alternative fuelled transport in Europe owned by EC DG Move.