E-mobility: Where exactly does Austria stand?

E-mobility: Where exactly does Austria stand?

So far this year, more than 17,000 new electric cars have been registered in Austria. That is already more than in the entire previous year: a total of 15,972 electric cars were purchased in 2020. Compared to the comparable period at the end of July, there was an increase of 195.4%. This means that 11.2 percent of all new registrations are electrically powered cars. The total number of electric cars amounted to 59,289 vehicles at the end of the first half of 2021. 

Incidentally, the most new registrations this year were in Upper Austria with 3,430 units, followed by Lower Austria and Vienna. Burgenland is at the bottom when it comes to electric cars, where fewer than 500 new vehicles have been registered this year. 

In parallel with car sales, the charging infrastructure is also growing rapidly: there are now around 8,600 publicly accessible charging points in Austria. “This puts Austria in the top third of Europe,” says Andreas Reinhardt. The new chairman of the Federal Association of Electromobility Austria (BEÖ) wants to further push forward the expansion of the charging infrastructure. The association represents the interests of eleven energy companies in Austria. “The next important step is the rapid expansion of private charging options in underground car parks in apartment buildings.” 80 to 90 percent of electric vehicles are charged at home or in the company parking lot, where they are parked for a long time. The BEÖ boss sees a “need for legislative action” in this area: From January 2022 - not least due to the efforts of the BEÖ - legal hurdles should be a thing of the past and the subsequent installation, for example of an intelligent wallbox in apartment buildings, should be significantly simplified. 

“We expect a significant increase in private charging capacities here,” says Reinhardt. In view of the worsening climate situation, even more speed is now needed so that the energy transition in transport can succeed together. "A large-scale field test in a residential complex in Linz recently demonstrated very impressively how suitable electromobility is for everyday use. For six months, 51 households exchanged their combustion car for an emission-free electric car - and were thrilled. In this field test, which was supported by the Vienna University of Technology and carried out by Linz AG with partners, we were able to prove that a complete supply of a 50 percent share of electric vehicles can be achieved without any problems through the use of intelligent charging management is feasible,” says the BEÖ chairman. 

Heimo Aichmaier also sees Austria on the right track. Aichmaier is one of the country's top experts in e-mobility. He has been working on the topic since 2004, worked for the Ministry of Transport for years, heads the Austrian Mobile Power industrial alliance and is managing director of the company Smart Mobility Power. This advises companies on the implementation of e-mobility, creates surveys and analyses, offers qualification measures and special software to determine specific needs, as well as event concepts. 

But what are the biggest challenges to further advance e-mobility? “The charging infrastructure has replaced range as the biggest challenge in implementing e-mobility,” says Aichmaier. He also sees the private sector as a decisive factor: any lack of clarity surrounding the installation of charging systems in residential buildings or garages would lead to great uncertainty. “We have to step on the gas,” says the expert, who privately shares a Mazda MX 30 and a BMW iX3 with his wife. The expert also calls for the legislature to reduce complexity, arguing for less bureaucracy. It is pleasing that the charging point register no longer only has to specify the address of the charging points, but also information about the technical infrastructure (plugs, performance, etc.) as well as pricing and payment method. 

Austria in EU comparison

Compared to the EU, Austria actually doesn't do badly at all when it comes to the relevant charging infrastructure - also in relation to the road network. According to the car manufacturer association ACEA, there are 6.1 charging points for every 100 kilometers of road in this country. This makes Austria number 5 in Europe. For comparison: in Latvia and Greece, which are at the bottom of the list within the EU, there are just 0.2 charging points per 100 kilometers. This means that you have to drive an average of 500 kilometers before you find a charging station. Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement in Austria: Germany already has 19.4 charging points per 100 kilometers, and the Netherlands, as the front runner, even has 47.5. 

In fact, according to experts, there is still a lot of need for action and education in Austria: “The cables have to go to where the cars are and they must not be oversized,” says Aichmaier in an interview with the automotive industry. In most cases, lines that are not actually needed are automatically selected. "For example, if someone sets up ten parking spaces with charging stations, they don't necessarily need 11/22 kW ten times. As a rule, not all ten cars are there at the same time, they can often only technically use less and they don't always have to be charged from zero to 100 percent at the same time," says the e-mobility expert. You can save a lot of money here because the corresponding cables don't always have to be laid. 
In general, it is important to create individual concepts and determine the necessary performance and infrastructure. Electricity solutions would also become more individual and decentralized, for example through interaction with photovoltaic systems or buffer storage. According to Aichmaier, new business areas are also opening up here. 

In general, despite understanding that many workshop operators have fears about the future due to lower maintenance costs, for example due to the lack of oil changes on electric cars, he also sees opportunities for new sources of income. His tip: “You should follow the cable and see what services are available.” This starts with the provision of charging infrastructure through to the servicing of the same, which could be undertaken with an electrician in the team. 

There's no need to worry about the power supply: "It's not the electric cars that are putting stress on our networks," says Aichmaier. In the private sector, charging is often done using a normal power connection – “battery-saving and network-friendly”. And anyway: Even if, theoretically, all cars were replaced in one fell swoop, it would only require 20 percent more electricity capacity, according to the expert. In fact, the switch to “plug-in vehicles” is progressing gradually. And so an expansion of the networks is only necessary in certain areas. In addition, many cars are charged overnight, where there is enough capacity anyway. 

It won't fail because of the electricity

BEÖ boss Reinhardt says: “Currently, significantly more generation capacities such as wind and PV systems are being added in Austria than the electricity required by the newly commissioned electric cars.” And it will stay that way for a while: “If we replace all around 5 million cars with electric cars, electricity consumption will increase by 18 percent in the next 40 years, that is a manageable task.” What is true, however, is: “The power required – if all electric drivers plug in their cars at the same time in the evening – will pose challenges for the power grid.” According to Reinhardt, investments and intelligent solutions will be required here to enable many electric cars to be charged at the same time. “However, we are talking about a period of 30 to 40 years during which network expansion will have to take place.” Of course, he doesn't see the danger of supply gaps. The energy suppliers made advance payments early on and have set up an Austria-wide network of charging points, which is being further expanded. 

According to Aichmaier, range is no longer an issue. And not just because battery technologies have been further developed: "Our most recent survey on the topic showed that 91 percent of the journeys on a working day are less than 100 kilometers. Over two thirds of the journeys driven electrically on working days are even less than 50 kilometers," reports the Smart Mobility Power boss of a study carried out by his company. And even on weekends, only one percent of those surveyed would drive more than 300 kilometers. “In Lower Austria, where longer distances tend to have to be covered, the average total mileage is around 60 kilometers per day,” says Aichmaier. All these distances are no problem at all for electric cars. 

And how will the market develop further? BEÖ boss Reinhardt expects further rapid growth: "We are at the beginning of a mobility transition: electric engines are overtaking diesel engines! This trend is driven by various financial incentives, from the purchase of an electric car to the promotion of private charging stations. And in addition, with the range of models suitable for everyday use, the population's trust in alternative forms of drive is also growing." When it comes to new registrations of electric cars, Austria is already well above the forecasts, which are based on achieving climate goals.