Spain’s push for electric vehicles is running into trouble where it matters most: the charging network. Official data lists 76,040 public charging points across the country, but 17,965 have no power because they are broken or still waiting for a grid connection. That leaves only 58,075 chargers ready for drivers. The shortfall is dragging down Spain’s plans for 2026 and beyond. ANFAC says the country has reached just 47% of its 2026 goal of 124,000 public charging points. Some reports cite 70%, but that figure counts total installed charging power, not the number of working stations.
The pace has slowed sharply. In the third quarter of 2026, Spain added only 1,393 new public chargers, a 2.5% increase from the previous quarter. The bigger problem is the year-on-year drop: from January to September, only 5,003 points went live, down from 13,382 in the same period of 2025. ANFAC and industry reports say the 2026 rollout is running at just 37.4% of last year’s pace. The 13,382 figure belongs to 2025, not 2026.
ANFAC (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Automóviles y Camiones) points to a clear choke point: activation, not construction. Nearly 24%, or 23.6%, of all installed public chargers are out of service. Some have technical faults; others are still waiting for a grid connection. If these idle stations were switched on, Spain’s charging map would look very different. AEDIVE, which tracks data from charging operators, also reports fewer working points than the official statistics suggest.
ANFAC is urging authorities to cut red tape and speed up grid connections for new stations. The group says delays are wasting private money and public patience. The problem is even worse for high-power chargers, which are critical for long trips. Of the 1,393 points installed last quarter, only 399 offered 150 kW or more. Another 693 were capped at 22 kW or less. Spain currently has 6,651 high-power public chargers, just 11.4% of the total network. About 68% of all public points are limited to 22 kW, so a full charge can take more than three hours.
European rules set by ACEA (Asociación de Constructores Europeos de Automoción) require at least 3 kW of installed power per electric vehicle and 2 kW per plug-in hybrid. Spain has reached 70% of its 2026 target for installed charging power, but the gap between what’s built and what’s usable is holding back progress. ANFAC says 22 provinces now meet or exceed the required power level, while six remain below half the target. The result is a patchwork network with major regional gaps.
José López-Tafall, director general of ANFAC, says Spanish buyers are showing more interest in electric cars. “The data from the third quarter show that market electrification continues to advance and is gaining weight among Spanish consumers. That in September one in three new cars registered was already electrified demonstrates there is growing demand when citizens have the right conditions and ongoing incentives.”
For drivers who pull up to a dead charger, the reality is frustrating. ANFAC says Spain needs to speed up connections for new stations, especially in regions with little coverage and for heavy vehicles, where infrastructure is almost nonexistent. The group warns that if the pace doesn’t pick up, Spain could fall further behind other European countries and miss its chance to become a top electric vehicle hub. ANFAC’s infrastructure index puts Spain at 15.9 points, far below the European average of 31.5. Only the Czech Republic and Hungary score lower.
This isn’t the first time Spain’s charging network has come under fire. As reported earlier, industry leaders have called for strict deadlines and penalties for electricity distributors that delay connecting ultra-fast chargers. The problem continues to frustrate operators and drivers.
Spain’s electric mobility lead has stalled. The infrastructure is there on paper, but thousands of idle chargers must be switched on for the country to meet its green goals. Investment alone won’t be enough: every charger built must deliver power to the road.
