'Room for improvement' despite rise in Luxembourg's EV sales

"Go electric day" will take place on 19 October and will seek to raise awareness and inform the public about electric vehicles.

Ahead of the event, the Climate Agency joined the ACL for a press conference on Friday to discuss the potential for EVs in Luxembourg.

Although more and more people are choosing to drive electric vehicles, there is still room for improvement, they concluded.

Climate Agency director Fenn Faber said the proportion of newly-registered electric cars had risen from 0.2% in 2015 to 27.4% in 2024. However, electric cars make up just 8.3% of Luxembourg's vehicles overall, despite the fact that the charging network has seen major investment in comparison with other countries.

"There are around 3,000 public charging points across the country – almost one every kilometre. We've also seen an impressive development in the fast charging points, to the extent that everyone can now find a fast charger within a 10 kilometre radius."

A survey conducted by ACL with 1,000 participants revealed that 38% said they drove a purely electric car. 61% said they planned to buy an electric vehicle in future. ACL also examined what was stopping people from purchasing an EV.

ACL expert Frank Maas said: "Autonomy is key here. 60% of people without an EV, but who want one, are interested in getting one that can do up to 500 kilometres before charging. 26% want a car that can do 400 kilometres and 10% would be satisfied with 300 kilometres."

However, motorists who already drive electric cars see autonomy as less of a disadvantage. The high cost of EVs is the second-ranked concern with 19% of potential buyers put off by the prices, while 16% are worried about not finding enough charging points. This encompasses private chargers as well as public points. Many apartment buildings lack charger points, either because members of the syndicate have not agreed to install one, or due to technical difficulties preventing the installation.

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The municipalities are vital partners in the transition to electromobility, with the majority committed to some extent, but they have limits, says the Climate Agency's Peter Recking.

"The willingness to take part is definitely there, at least in the councils we have close contact with, because they are part of the Climate Pact. But what we have seen is that there are definite obstacles when it comes to knowhow. A lot of the councils are relatively small, so there is usually just one point of contact who has to handle a lot of different subjects, and of course not everyone is an expert in electromobility."

Faber said the biggest issue was that councils have virtually no experience in issuing a call to tender for these concessions and therefore are reluctant to engage as they don't want to do anything wrong. The agency is working on a model procedure to help guide councils going forward.

"Go electric day" will take place from 11am to 5pm on 19 October at the Coque in Kirchberg, gathering over 30 exhibitors from different sectors, and displaying over 70 electric cars. Visitors wil be able to test the cars, speak to experts, and young guests will find plenty of activities. Entry is free.