NL falling behind demand for electric car charging points

The Netherlands must considerably accelerate the pace at which it is installing electric car charging points, according to ALD Automotive Nederland, the Dutch branch of Europe's largest leasing company. If more charging points aren't installed rapidly, the country will face a massive shortage, Jeroen Kruisweg of ALD Automotive Nederland said to the Telegraaf.

"I am very concerned about the charging infrastructure in this country," he said, based on the company's annual figures. "At the current sales level of the number of electric cars, 120 charging points must be installed per day. That is now only around 23 per day."

One in five of the lease contracts ALD sold in the Netherlands last year was an electric car. The company expects this number to be even higher in 2020, as new, cheaper electric cars enter the market.

A study by Over Morgen, part of Arcadis, showed that none of the Dutch municipalities can completely meet the demand for car charging points, RTL Nieuws reports. The Hague is currently in the best position, but there too only about 80 percent of the demand for charging points is met.

The provinces of Noord-Holland, Flevoland and Utrecht recently announced that they will be installing a total of 20 thousand charging points in the coming period.