January 2026: Record Funding and Network Expansion Drive Europe's EV Charging Evolution

January 2026 opened with significant momentum across Europe's EV charging sector. From record-breaking financing rounds and strategic retail partnerships to regulatory milestones and cross-border network integration, charge point operators are scaling infrastructure to meet surging demand. Here's a comprehensive look at the month's key developments.

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Multi-Regional / Europe-Wide

Fastned Secures €200M in Bank Financing

Fastned announced between January 21-23, 2026, that it had secured €200 million in bank financing to accelerate its European expansion. This funding follows the company's strong Q4 2025 performance, with revenue reaching €38.1 million—a 44% year-over-year increase. The Dutch fast-charging operator now operates 406 stations across nine countries (Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy), with ambitions to reach 476-506 stations by the end of 2026 and 1,000 stations by 2030.

Electra Continues European Expansion

In late December 2025, Electra opened its latest ultra-fast charging station in Mijdrecht, Netherlands, featuring six 300kW chargers. This opening is part of Electra's broader expansion strategy, supported by a €433 million green loan secured in December to fund growth to 2,200 stations and 15,000 charging points by 2030. The company now operates over 500 stations across nine European countries.

ISO 15118 Compliance Now Mandatory

As of January 1, 2026, all new public AC chargers installed in the EU must comply with ISO 15118 standards, as mandated by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). This protocol enables secure vehicle-to-charger communication, automatic authentication, and prepares infrastructure for future bidirectional energy flow. By 2027, the requirement will extend to all refurbished chargers, driving a significant upgrade cycle across Europe's charging network.

Industry Association Founded in Germany

On December 19, 2025, eight major e-mobility companies—including Fastned, IONITY, Electra, Shell, Aral Pulse, Engie Vianeo, ABB E-mobility, and Alpitronic—founded E-Mobility Deutschland e.V., a new industry association focused on representing charging infrastructure providers and hardware manufacturers to German policymakers. Fastned's Germany Country Director, Linda Boll, was elected as Chair, signaling increased industry coordination heading into 2026.

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Regulatory Framework

Germany Launches €3 Billion EV Incentive Program

Germany has introduced a new €3bn, income-based EV incentive scheme effective retroactively from January 1, 2026. The program aims to support around 800,000 vehicle purchases through 2029, with subsidies ranging from €2,500 to €6,000.

Households with taxable incomes up to €80,000 are eligible, with the threshold rising by €5,000 per child, capped at €90,000. The highest subsidy of €6,000 applies to battery electric vehicles purchased by households earning under €45,000 with two children. Eligible plug-in hybrids can receive up to €4,500. Applications will open via an online portal in May 2026 and can be submitted up to one year after registration.

The program replaces the scrapped Umweltbonus, which supported EV adoption until December 2023. After a subsidy gap in 2024 and 2025 slowed EV sales, the new scheme aims to boost demand while making electric mobility more accessible to lower and middle-income households.

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Northern Europe

United Kingdom

InstaVolt Recognised in Sunday Times 100 Tech

On January 16, 2026, InstaVolt was named in The Sunday Times 100 Tech as one of Britain's fastest-growing technology companies. The UK-based charge point operator now operates over 2,000 ultra-rapid chargers across the country, maintaining uptime rates above 99%. InstaVolt's recognition reflects its focus on reliability and strategic site selection at high-traffic locations.

BP Pulse Expands Retail Park Network

BP Pulse announced on January 7, 2026, a partnership with Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate to deploy EV charging infrastructure across 14 retail parks. This collaboration expands BP Pulse's destination charging footprint, complementing its existing motorway and urban charging networks. The partnership aims to provide accessible charging at shopping and leisure destinations where drivers typically spend 30-90 minutes.

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Central & Western Europe

Germany

EnBW Launches ACV Partnership Tariff

EnBW announced a new partnership with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ACV), set to launch on February 2, 2026. The collaboration offers ACV members preferential charging rates across EnBW's HyperNetz, which provides access to over 900,000 charging points across Europe. EnBW continues to expand its proprietary network, aiming to reach 20,000 fast-charging points by 2030.

EnBW Tests XCharge Hardware

Between late December 2025 and early January 2026, EnBW deployed 10 XCharge fast-charging units across four test locations in Germany, including Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. The pilot aims to diversify EnBW's hardware supplier base and strengthen network resilience. EnBW currently operates over 8,000 of its own fast-charging points in Germany

Belgium

Allego Opens Belgium's Largest Charging Hub

In early January 2026, Allego inaugurated its largest Belgian charging hub in Mechelen, featuring 24 ultra-fast charging points. The site showcases Allego's latest infrastructure design and serves as a flagship location for the company's Belgian network. Allego operates over 40,000 charging points across Europe and continues to expand through strategic retail and commercial partnerships.

Netherlands

Allego announced a partnership with HORNBACH to deploy 160 chargers across 20 HORNBACH stores, with speeds of up to 150kW. The rollout begins in Q1 2026 and is scheduled for completion by year-end, addressing growing demand as grid congestion increasingly limits new infrastructure development. Allego operates 10,000+ AC charging points and 57 fast-charging hubs in the Netherlands, with 40,000+ charge points across Europe.‍

‍The company is also piloting Kempower charging hardware at De Meern and planning permanent hubs in Bunnik (Netherlands) and Gentbrugge (Belgium). Additionally, Allego is rolling out KREISEL CHIMERO battery-integrated chargers from 2026, enabling ultra-rapid charging in grid-constrained locations without costly Upgrades.

Poland

GreenWay Completes Major EU-Funded Expansion

GreenWay announced in early January 2026 the completion of its Expand-E project, an EU-funded initiative that deployed 253 charging points (150-400kW) across 48 locations in Poland. The €10.47 million project significantly strengthens Poland's fast-charging corridor network. GreenWay now operates over 1,250 charging points across Poland and Slovakia, with plans to implement Megawatt Charging System (MCS) technology for heavy-duty vehicles.

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Mediterranean / Southern Europe

Spain

Iberdrola Partners with Airbus

In early January 2026, Iberdrola announced a partnership with Airbus to deploy nearly 500 smart charging points across Airbus facilities in Spain. The collaboration supports fleet electrification at one of Europe's largest aerospace manufacturers and reinforces Iberdrola's position as Spain's leading charging infrastructure provider, with over 10,000 public charging points operational nationwide, all powered by 100% renewable electricity.

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Quarterly Infrastructure Update: Q4 2025

Europe's charging infrastructure continued its steady growth, with both AC and DC networks expanding across key markets. The following data reflects the total number of recharging points as of Q4 2025, with year-over-year growth from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025.

• ‍Germany led in absolute scale, reaching 150,477 AC points and 50,353 DC points by Q4 2025. Year-over-year growth (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) showed the DC network expanding 6.39%, outpacing AC growth of 2.9%, reflecting the market's maturation toward high-power charging solutions.‍
• France maintained strong momentum with 146,898 AC points and 38,501 DC points as of Q4 2025. Year-over-year growth rates (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) of 5.82% for AC and 6.94% for DC demonstrated balanced expansion supported by major CPO investments and government incentives promoting ultra-fast charging corridors.‍
• Denmark demonstrated the strongest relative growth rates, reaching 41,845 AC and 8,493 DC charging points in Q4 2025. Year-over-year growth (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) showed AC points increasing 10.09% and DC points surging 9.35%, reflecting Denmark's aggressive electrification policies and high EV adoption rates.‍
• The Netherlands recorded 196,286 AC points and 6,547 DC points as of Q4 2025. Year-over-year growth (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) showed modest but steady rates of 1.92% for AC and 6.48% for DC infrastructure. The country maintains Europe's highest density of AC charging points, supporting its urban-focused EV strategy.‍
• Across the EU, total charging infrastructure reached 867,190 AC points and 193,382 DC points in Q4 2025. Year-over-year growth rates (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) of 3.37% for AC and 7.81% for DC demonstrate that fast-charging infrastructure continues to expand at more than double the rate of AC charging, aligning with evolving driver needs for rapid en-route charging.

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Looking Ahead

January 2026 reinforces Europe's commitment to building a comprehensive, interoperable EV charging network. The combination of record financing, regulatory standardization through ISO 15118, Germany's substantial subsidy relaunch, and strategic partnerships across retail, commercial, and industrial sectors positions the industry for accelerated growth through 2026.

As charge point operators scale their networks and new industry associations strengthen policy advocacy, the focus is shifting from pure infrastructure deployment to operational excellence, reliability, and user experience. Germany's socially-targeted incentive program signals a broader European trend toward making EV adoption accessible across income levels, while the continued expansion of ultra-fast charging corridors and integration of smart charging technologies will be critical to supporting Europe's zero-emission mobility goals.

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Sources

Fastned Q4 2025 Results

Fastned €200M Bank Financing

Electra Mijdrecht Opening

InstaVolt Sunday Times 100 Tech 2026

InstaVolt M6 Battery Storage

BP Pulse Retail Parks Partnership

EnBW ACV Partnership

EnBW XCharge Testing

Allego Belgium's Largest Hub

Allego HORNBACH Partnership

GreenWay Expand-E Completion

ORLEN Germany Expansion

Iberdrola Airbus Partnership

European Alternative Fuels Observatory

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