Italy’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure is outperforming the European average in growth

Italy’s EV charging network grows faster than the rest of Europe

Italy’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network is expanding, outperforming advanced e-mobility markets such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, despite persistent challenges. This is the primary finding of the seventh edition of the study "Public Charging Infrastructures in Italy," conducted by Motus-E in collaboration with GSE and RSE. The annual analysis for 2025 reports 73,047 charging points installed nationwide, with 8,656 added throughout the year — 2,775 of which were installed in the final quarter of 2025 alone. Alongside total volume, the share of high-power installations is rising: 62% of charging points deployed in 2025 are fast or ultra-fast, compared to a 47% share in 2024.

Progress on motorways, but infraction risks loom

The motorway infrastructure has also seen progress, despite significant delays in the preparation and publication of tenders by several motorway operators. These delays resulted in Italy missing the targets set by the European AFIR Regulation (achieving only 90% of the goal), raising the risk of an EU infraction procedure. There are currently 1,374 charging points installed on motorways (62% of which exceed 150 kW), up from 1,087 at the end of 2024. When including charging points within 3 km of motorway exits, the total rises to 4,170.

“The network’s remarkable expansion once again proves the commitment of industry operators, who are forced to navigate an extremely challenging landscape,” observes Motus-E President Fabio Pressi. He highlights critical issues such as “Italy’s anomalous delay in EV adoption—with a market share equal to one-third of the EU average — and regulatory and permitting hurdles. These factors further complicate the work of those taking the risk to equip the country with strategic infrastructure, involving investments that are difficult to sustain given current utilization rates.”

The North leads, the South recovers

Regarding geographical distribution, the North, where EV adoption is most advanced, accounts for 59% of total public charging points, followed by the Center (19%) and the South (22%). Lombardy remains the top region for charging infrastructure (15,836 points), ahead of Piedmont (6,981), Lazio (6,975), Veneto (6,700), Emilia-Romagna (5,927), and Campania (4,969). Among cities, Rome has the highest number of installed points (3,973), followed by Milan (3,375) and Naples (2,277). However, the ranking shifts when considering charging density per square kilometer: Naples takes the top spot (19.5 points per km²), followed by Milan (18.6) and Turin (just under 9.3).

One of the top priorities remains permitting procedures and grid connection difficulties with local distributors. These issues result in 15% of installed infrastructure remaining inaccessible to the public. While this figure has improved from 18% in 2023 and 16% in 2024, further corrective measures are needed. “To keep the country on the path of innovation,” Pressi adds, “it is essential for everyone to understand the industry dynamics and for real cooperation between public and private actors. This technological transition now requires an extraordinary effort to increase network density in certain areas, especially in the South, where limited EV penetration makes the necessary massive investments nearly impossible.”

European comparison: Italy out front

The study compares Italy’s progress with other major European markets. With one public charging point for every 6 registered electric cars, Italy’s infrastructure outperforms France (1 point per 8.3 cars), Germany (1 point per 10.7), and the UK (1 point per 16.6). This lead is maintained even when looking specifically at DC fast chargers: Italy (1 DC point per 25.7 cars), France (1 per 38.7), Germany (1 per 42.7), and the UK (1 per 80.1). Furthermore, Italy stands out for its charging density relative to road network length, averaging one charging point every 4 km, matching Germany and the UK, and surpassing France (1 point every 6 km).

In conclusion, to keep Italy at the forefront of innovation, Motus-E emphasizes the urgency of addressing five crucial levers: energy costs for operators, streamlined grid connections, longer land concessions, full motorway coverage, and more centralized governance and planning.

This article is also published on la Repubblica, in Italian. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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