Spain’s public EV charging network now counts 58,075 points, but almost a quarter are unusable and installation has slowed sharply. Technical breakdowns and bureaucracy are stalling the country’s electric mobility drive.
On paper, Spain’s electric vehicle charging network keeps growing. In reality, nearly 18,000 public charging points are out of action, leaving drivers stranded and the country’s transition to electric mobility stuck in first gear.
The latest Barómetro de Electromovilidad from the Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Automóviles y Camiones (Anfac) puts the total at 58,075 public charging points. But 17,965 of these—23.6%—are unavailable. Some have broken down, others are in poor condition, and many are waiting for grid connection. This isn’t a minor technical hiccup. It means drivers can’t rely on the network, and Spain’s electric ambitions lose credibility. Anfac says if every idle point went live, the network would hit 76,040. The real challenge isn’t just building new stations. It’s getting the existing ones working.
Spain’s infrastructure index for electric mobility stands at just 15.9 out of 100, well below the EU average of 31.5, with only the Czech Republic and Hungary scoring lower.
Momentum has faded. Only 5,003 new points were installed from January to September 2026. That’s a steep drop from the 13,382 added in the same stretch last year. Anfac calls it a “significant slowdown” and warns the current pace won’t support a mass switch to electric vehicles. Industry sources cited by Europa Press point to one main culprit: the slow, tangled process of hooking new chargers to the grid. Even after installation, months can pass before a point goes live.
Power output is another sore spot. Just 6,651 charging points in Spain deliver 150 kW or more—only 11.4% of the total. Most units, 39,437 or 68%, are capped at 22 kW or less. Fast charging remains a rare find. Drivers face long waits and little flexibility, especially on longer trips. Only 2,991 points offer ultra-fast charging above 250 kW, about 5% of the network, according to Expansión.
Frustration is building inside the industry. Anfac is pressing public authorities to cut through red tape and speed up grid connections. The group also wants more high-power chargers, which are critical for practical electric mobility at scale.
Spain’s national target for 2026 is 124,000 public charging points, but with only 58,075 operational, the country has achieved just 47% of this goal. However, when accounting for the power capacity per electric vehicle, the ACEA methodology estimates Spain’s progress at closer to 70%.
Spain isn’t alone in facing these hurdles. As reported by Europa Press, bottlenecks in ultra-fast charger deployment and delays from electricity distributors keep infrastructure offline. Industry voices are calling for strict deadlines and real penalties to force action on idle points.
The headline numbers keep climbing, but the network’s reality is far less impressive. With almost a quarter of stations unusable and most offering only slow charging, Spain’s infrastructure falls short of its electric mobility goals. Technical failures and bureaucratic inertia continue to block progress. The country’s electric future remains on hold until these barriers shift.
