EV charging installation workforce challenges in Europe: what operators can control

Installers and technicians are a limit on how fast a charging network can grow, and every operator feels it in delays and in cost per site. We found no verified European figure for the size of the shortage, so we do not quote one. What can be documented is how much on-site work the rules are about to create, and how an operator can reduce its dependence on scarce skills.

Why on-site work is increasing

Several obligations have dates, and many mean an on-site intervention:

Since 14 October 2024, public charging points must be digitally connected, with remote monitoring and control. Since 14 April 2025, public DC points must have a fixed cable (AFIR).

From 1 January 2027, public points of 50 kW or more on the TEN-T network or at secure parking areas must accept card or contactless payment, including points deployed before 13 April 2024.

Public points installed or renovated from 8 January 2026 must support at least ISO 15118-1 to -5, and from 1 January 2027 at least ISO 15118-20 (Delegated Regulation 2025/656).

Existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces must reach one point for every ten spaces, or ducting for half of the spaces, by 1 January 2027 (depending on national transposition), and new buildings have pre-cabling requirements (EPBD).

The need is not spread evenly. It is concentrated around dates, which makes planning your installers early more important than hiring later.

The skills mix is wider than electrical work

A charging point is installed by people who must combine several abilities: electrical work on three-phase AC and DC supply, network configuration, supervision-tool integration, and knowledge of the protocols involved. OCPP 1.6 and 2.0.1 are not compatible with each other, so a team used to one version cannot assume the other (Open Charge Alliance).

Few teams cover all of this. Operators often coordinate several subcontractors, and each handover is a place where a site can be left half configured.

Reduce what has to be done on site

The most reliable lever is to move work out of the field.

Pre-configure in a workshop. Load identifiers, network settings and the supervision-tool registration before the equipment leaves. The installer then connects and validates.

Limit the number of hardware models. Every extra model adds its own settings and its own training need.

Validate remotely. Define a short acceptance checklist that your supervision tool can check from the office: the point connects, reports its status, accepts a start and a stop, and applies a power limit.

Use certification as a filter. The Open Charge Alliance runs certification programmes for OCPP 1.6 (open since 2019, Core mandatory) and 2.0.1 (open since 2023). Asking for a certificate can save you from testing every model yourself (certification). We found no certification programme for OCPP 2.1 yet.

Diagnose remotely first. A study by an equipment maintenance vendor on 5 000 chargers found that 70% of faults were resolved remotely and 30% needed an engineer on site. It is a vendor figure, to be taken as indicative (source).

Make the requirement contractual

Skills shortages show up as quality problems when training is rushed. Put your expectations in the installer contract: documented commissioning steps, a signed acceptance checklist, the protocol versions the team has already handled, and the delivery of the configuration used. The directive on buildings also asks Member States to simplify installation procedures and provide technical assistance, so check what your country offers (EPBD, article 14).

What to do this week

List the installations and upgrades you have to complete before 1 January 2027, with their dates. For each, check whether the work needs a visit that could be avoided by pre-configuration or remote diagnosis, and write the acceptance checklist you will ask your installers to sign. GFO Omni is a CSMS that supervises charging points over OCPP 1.6, 2.0.1 and 2.1.