A large network, unevenly distributed

Preliminary European Alternative Fuels Observatory data reported 1,170,493 publicly accessible charging points in July 2026, up 18% from June 2025. That headline number includes many lower-power AC points as well as rapid chargers, and infrastructure density still varies sharply between countries and regions.

The EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation sets binding national deployment targets and requires fast-charging coverage on core travel corridors. The direction is clear, but a legal target does not guarantee that the next individual charger is free, working or positioned on the correct side of a motorway. Good route planning still includes redundancy.

Build a simple charging stack

Start with the car's route planner if it can estimate arrival charge, live availability and battery preconditioning. Add one broad roaming service for backup, plus the apps or cards for the networks that dominate the route. Contactless card payment is spreading, but older chargers and some destinations still require an account or app.

Before departure, check whether prices are per kWh, per minute or include an idle fee. A roaming provider may be convenient but more expensive than the network's direct tariff. For occasional cross-border travel, reliability and clear receipts can be worth more than chasing the absolute lowest price at every stop.

  • Save two suitable charging hubs for each planned stop.
  • Prefer sites with several stalls, lighting, toilets and food.
  • Carry the correct AC cable even if the trip is planned around DC charging.
  • Do not depend on a hotel charger without written confirmation that it is bookable and accessible.

Charge the car while doing something else

The most pleasant EV journeys combine charging with activities that were already needed: breakfast, lunch, shopping, a dog walk or sleep. Destination AC charging is slow but powerful in this sense; eight hours parked can replace an otherwise inconvenient rapid-charging stop the next morning.

The final rule is to protect optionality. In good weather on a familiar route, arriving near 10% may be efficient. In winter, at night or in a region with sparse coverage, a larger reserve is sensible. Range anxiety tends to fade when the driver stops thinking about one perfect charger and starts planning a small network of alternatives.