The advancement of electromobility is one of the main policy priorities of the European Union. As of April 2024, all EU member states are obliged to adapt their current charging infrastructure for electric cars to comply with the requirements of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the so-called AFIR.
The new regulations and increasing competition in the EV charger market are resulting in a number of actions being taken by existing operators to maintain their position in the market. Did you know that local SEO can be an important weapon in this battle? Read this article and see how the modern growAp services are helping to promote EV charging stations!
The infrastructure of electric chargers in European markets is constantly expanding. This is primarily due to the growing interest in electric cars. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) published a report showing that electric cars accounted for around 14.6% of all new registrations in 2023, while diesels only accounted for 13.6%.
In 2023, the highest number of new electric cars were registered in Germany, the UK and France. Meanwhile, Norway, Iceland and Sweden boast the highest market share for electric cars.
The increasing market share of electric cars is associated with the ongoing development of charger infrastructure. Manufacturers are offering advanced solutions for private users and expanding the network of public charging stations. The governments in many countries are offering comprehensive financial support in the form of grants and tax relief for the installation of chargers, which is further driving infrastructure development.
Electric car charging operators have so far not faced much competition, as the charger network is still not very extensive in many markets. This business model is primarily characterised by high levels of profitability. The investors earn money from charging fees, subscriptions or advertising placed on the charging stations.
Installing EV chargers increases the value of commercial and residential premises. EV charging stations can also be integrated with renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, which significantly reduces operating costs, improves energy efficiency and increases business profitability.
There are various challenges currently faced by businesses offering electric charging stations. One of these is the relatively high cost of installing a charging station. This applies in particular to fast charging stations. Another important issue is the requirement to adapt the energy infrastructure to support a large number of charging stations, which often entails considerable expenditure on upgrading the network.
The introduction of new EU regulations and directives may also visibly change the market situation for electric car charger operators. These projects are designed to rapidly expand infrastructure, foster specific solutions and provide comprehensive support to new investors. As a result of all this, many new market players will appear on the EV charger market in the nearest future. Their presence may negatively affect the financial situation of existing businesses.
A number of new regulations are currently being pushed through to reduce CO2 emissions produced by road transport. Some of these will have a very big impact on the market situation for EV charger operators. We describe the most important of these below.
AFIR was established to advance the development of charging networks for electric vehicles and other alternative fuels in European Union countries. Member states have been required to implement the new standards set out in the AFIR directive by 2025.
One of the basic principles of the AFIR is to ensure that electric cars can be recharged on an ad hoc basis at publicly accessible points, without the need to register with or sign up to an operator.
What are the key objectives and requirements of EU regulation?
„Fit for 55” is the European Union’s complex legislative package that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
Complex support for EV charger infrastructure is resulting in more and more businesses choosing to invest their resources in this particular sector. We have listed the key players in this market below.
The fast-changing market does not go unnoticed by current EV charger operators. Investors have to adapt to the new conditions, and these are not always favourable to them.
In particular, the ever-increasing competition is becoming a major problem. Government support resulting from the need to rapidly expand the infrastructure of the charger network is causing more and more businesses to invest their resources in this market segment.
High competition leads to lower charging prices and also affects the quality of the technologies used. The presence of new players in the sector means that existing EV charger operators have to compete exceptionally hard for new customers.
One of the ways to increase market share is through local positioning in Google Maps. Increased online visibility is directly reflected in the increased customer acquisition. You can achieve this by creating a Google Business Profile for each charging station and ensuring that it is optimised. Further on in this article, you will read how local SEO affects a business’ visibility and position in Google Maps.
New challenges cause today’s EV charging station operators to increasingly turn to online promotion tools to increase their online visibility. This is possible through local positioning, which builds a business’ visibility in local results.
Local SEO optimisation for EV charging stations is a service that will quickly increase the competitiveness of your stations in the market. At growAp, we will help you create attractive Business Profiles on Google and show you how they can be used for local SEO.
So how do you manage to promote your charging station online? There are a number of steps to take, and the most important ones, taken by growAp experts, are listed below.
Attention: there are currently no Services sections on Google Business Profiles for the electric vehicle charging station industry.
At growAp, we have a good understanding of the challenges that EV charging station operators face on a daily basis. We are currently working very intensively with one particular business, which is gradually opening charging stations all over Poland.
When setting up Business Profiles on Google for one of the car charging stations, a problem arose with Google acknowledging and accepting designations assigned to different types of stations. Google changes such names, which significantly hinders the effective positioning of the Business Profile.
By using our application, we were able to solve this problem and block unfavourable changes coming from users and Google. As a result, Profiles became more visible and the positioning activities started to bring visible results quickly.
PFor multiple sites, growAp is the best solution, as this tool streamlines the management of Business Profiles so that the data presented online is consistent, reliable and presented in an attractive and professional manner.
The growAp service is aimed at anyone who spends a lot of time managing multiple Business Profiles on Google on a daily basis and is still not satisfied with the results or wants to speed up the processes.
The app we offer will help you gain full control over the information displayed on the web. It is also a great choice for those who want to integrate Business Profiles on Google with a website or Facebook. As a result, you will save time and increase the productivity of your team.
The expansion of electric car charging station infrastructure has become a reality. The thriving development of this sector is supported by international regulations. In order to avoid information chaos and increase your competitiveness on the market, it is already worth thinking about professional management of your network of Business Profiles, formerly Google My Business cards. An effective marketing strategy will ensure that you are able to compete with the biggest players in the market.
You can achieve excellent results in this regard with a local positioning and professional location management service. By choosing growAp’s offer, you will ensure that your customers can quickly find the address of your charging station and reach their destination without any problems.
