What changes does the new EU directive bring in light of the increased number of charging stations for electric cars?
As of March 10, 2021, new guidelines under the EU EPBD Directive 2018/844 will enter into force, introducing the requirement to adapt infrastructure to charge electric vehicles. These amended EU regulations will apply to both developers and owners of residential and non-residential buildings. The new directive will apply to both newly constructed buildings and those undergoing renovation.
It's worth noting that there were only 1,253 publicly accessible charging stations for electric vehicles in Poland at the end of August 2020. By comparison, our western neighbors have over 20,000 such stations.
Based on data from the 2019/2020 PSPA New Mobility Barometer, as many as 92% of electric vehicle owners strongly prefer to charge their vehicles at home.
Therefore, it's important to consider the implications of the amended regulations and how they will translate into practical changes in current, daily operations and activities undertaken by developers and building owners. The new EU directive clarifies that housing communities will be required to provide charging infrastructure for all parking spaces. In the case of public buildings, offices, and other non-residential premises, charging must be enabled for 20% of all parking spaces. However, these are only minimum requirements; individual EU member states will have the authority to further specify these requirements in separately issued internal regulations.
For now, the new EU directive will only require the preparation of infrastructure for the construction of a charging network, not the installation of chargers or specific charging stations. Nevertheless, it can be expected that this will contribute to higher construction and modernization costs, which could lead to higher real estate prices, including higher sales and rental prices for residential and commercial premises.
To sum up, in practice this means that from March 10, 2021, in order to obtain a decision granting a permit for the construction of a residential building or public utility facility, it will be necessary to design appropriate and adequate electrical infrastructure .
