The year 2025 was a pivotal year for mobility decarbonization, marked by the renewed growth of light vehicle electrification in Europe thanks to a 25–30% increase in electric vehicle sales compared to 2024. The expansion of EV supply, changes in tax rules, and corporate fleet policies ultimately outweighed the phased implementation of EU requirements originally set for 2025, now spread over 2025–2027.
The heavy-duty segment saw an even more notable acceleration in electrification, with strong growth (>50%) in electric truck sales. Several transport operators developed electric fleets, supported by a total cost of ownership nearly on par with diesel thanks to government subsidies. While absolute sales volumes remain limited, depot electrification projects multiplied, and many B2B charging players have now structured dedicated offers for the heavy-duty segment to remove deployment barriers (integrated value-chain solutions, third-party financing or investment, etc.). European manufacturers have also all structured EV truck commercial offers, and Chinese competition will enter this segment as early as this year (e.g., WindRose), further strengthening market supply.
Charging network development, now at scale in many European countries, is shifting from an “all-out” expansion to a more selective and qualitative approach. Key trends include rising utilization rates at “premium” sites (notably on highways), increasing charger power, and higher charging acceptance by light vehicle batteries (illustrated by BYD’s Super-e and CATL’s Shenxing platforms, capable of accepting 1 MW). Network performance is becoming more important than size, driving action plans focused on improving performance:
- Technical availability
- Commercial: local visibility of chargers, dynamic pricing, and agreements between MSPs – notably, the creation of ChargeLeague (enabling accessibility and payment across Atlante, Electra, Fastned, and IONITY networks from any of their apps, plus a subscription offering preferential rates across all four networks) marks a major evolution in the public charging market.
In 2026, we will pay particular attention to:
- Regulatory developments, including the Automotive Package revision of EU targets, which should have very limited impact on EV momentum in its current form
- The dynamics of freight electrification: heavy-duty sales (impact of OEM offers and entry of Asian models), development of dedicated public/private charging networks, and tailored offers for this segment (including business models and investment opportunities)
- Actions to improve public charging network performance (utilization, availability, pricing optimization, services):
- Selectivity and densification of deployed networks
- Advanced traffic analysis using increasingly sophisticated tools
- Development of marketing offers to boost traffic
- Alliances between operators (e.g., ChargeLeague) and joint offers
- Pricing optimization (dynamic pricing, revenue management)
- Flexibility valorization
- Development of asset management tools and methods to optimize value
E-CUBE has developed proprietary tools (traffic analysis for light and heavy vehicles, site analysis, pricing optimization) dedicated to the EV charging business. These tools leverage our strong expertise in mobility decarbonization through recent projects and consultant experience. We would be happy to discuss these market perspectives and opportunities with you. Please feel free to contact the experts below to schedule a discussion.
E-CUBE has developed strong expertise on the topic of new mobility and electrification through its recent projects and the experience of its consultants. We would be delighted to discuss these market perspectives and opportunities with you. Please feel free to contact the experts below to schedule a conversation on the topic.
