Choosing where to build a charging site is the decision that most limits the return of everything that follows. Traffic counts alone do not answer it. Four questions do: what the regulation already requires nearby, whether the grid can supply the site, who else serves the demand, and whether the technology you install will stay compliant.
Start with what the regulation fixes
AFIR sets deployment targets for Member States on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). They are not obligations for each operator, but they show where public authorities expect capacity.
Use these figures to find gaps along a corridor, not as a promise of permits or support (AFIR, articles 3 and 4).
Check the grid before the map
A location with strong demand and no available connection capacity is not a project. The electricity market directive asks Member States to facilitate the connection of public and private charging points, and requires distribution operators to cooperate without discrimination (Directive 2019/944, article 33).
We found no official European figure for connection delays specific to charging. Ask the network operator directly, for each candidate site: available capacity, estimated cost, realistic timeline, and planned reinforcements.
Two other inputs are worth collecting:
Read the demand and the competition
AFIR requires operators to publish static data (location, connector types, maximum power) and dynamic data (operational status, availability, ad hoc price) through a free interface, declared to national access points. A common European access point is due by 31 December 2026. This is a free base for a competitor map: who is there, at which power, at which price, and whether their points are working.
Look for gaps in power level or in availability, not only in geography. A nearby site that is often out of order is a different competitor from a nearby site that always works.
For dwell time, observe the real place. A supermarket, a depot, a workplace and a motorway area do not produce the same charging sessions, and the power you install should match the time people stay.
Use buildings as a demand signal
The recast energy performance of buildings directive obliges Member States to require charging infrastructure in non-residential buildings: for new buildings or major renovations with more than five parking spaces, at least one charging point for every five spaces, plus pre-cabling. For existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 spaces, the directive obliges Member States to require one point for every ten spaces, or ducting for at least half of the spaces, by 1 January 2027 (EPBD, article 14). Check how your country has transposed it. Property owners will therefore need partners: they are potential hosts.
Check what the site will need to comply with
The hardware you install must meet the rules in force on the date it is installed:
Mobile or fixed network coverage at the site also matters, since remote monitoring is part of the digital connection requirement.
A decision grid
Score each candidate site on these questions, and weight them according to your strategy.
| Question | Where to find the answer |
|---|---|
| Is there a gap in the regional charging offer? | Open data from national access points |
| Can the grid supply the power you plan? | Network operator offer |
| Does the dwell time fit the power level? | Site visit, host data |
| Does the host have an obligation to equip? | Building rules, host discussion |
| Will the hardware meet the dates in force? | AFIR, delegated regulation |
| Is network coverage sufficient? | Field measurement |
What to do this week
Pick three candidate sites. Send each network operator the same questions on capacity, cost and timeline, and download the open data of the charging points within a few kilometres. Compare the answers before comparing the traffic. GFO Omni is a CSMS that supervises charging points over OCPP 1.6, 2.0.1 and 2.1.