(L-R) François Bausch, Luxembourg’s Minister for Mobility and Public Works; Claude Turmes, Luxembourg’s Minister for Energy; Credit: MEA

On Friday 29 September 2023, François Bausch, Luxembourg’s Minister for Mobility and Public Works, and Claude Turmes, Luxembourg’s Minister for Energy, reflected on the development of electromobility in Luxembourg during the legislative period 2018-2023.

To achieve the objectives of decarbonisation and energy efficiency, Luxembourg's integrated national energy and climate plan for the period 2021-2030 (PNEC) set a target for 49% of the cars in the vehicle fleet to be electrified by 2030. To achieve this, an appropriate charging infrastructure had to be developed at all levels, whether slow or fast, publicly accessible or private.

One key milestone was the deployment of basic public EV charging infrastructure, which is powered entirely by renewable electricity, the ministries noted. To ensure accessibility, at least one "Chargy" charging station has been installed in every municipality in the country. Additionally, 90 ultra-fast "SuperChargy" charging stations, partly funded by the European Union's "NextGenerationEU" programme, are being placed at eighteen stations, motorway service areas and major roads across the Grand Duchy.

Luxembourg now has approximately 2,000 publicly accessible charging points, with 98% of residents having access to at least one charging point with a capacity of up to 22 kW within a five-minute drive. Furthermore, 90% of residents can access publicly accessible fast charging points within a ten-minute drive. Alongside these public stations, there are also private charging terminals, supported financially by the "Klimabonus Mobilitéit" scheme.

Minister Turmes said: “Electromobility contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, as well as the reduction of local emissions of air and noise pollutants. By developing the public charging infrastructure, powered by 100% renewable green electricity, and by financially supporting the private charging infrastructure, electromobility has been able to take off on the national territory.”

Luxembourg has implemented various calls for projects and financial aid schemes with support from the "NextGenerationEU" programme in order to accelerate the transition to electromobility, the ministries noted. These initiatives have been targeting companies based in Luxembourg and aimed to facilitate their adoption of electric vehicles.

The first type of aid applies to companies of all sizes and supports publicly accessible and private charging infrastructure projects with a minimum charging capacity of 175 kW. Selected projects can receive subsidies covering up to 50% of the investments related to charging station deployment.

The second aid instrument is tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ease their transition to electromobility for business purposes. SMEs can request subsidies covering up to 50% of charging station costs and up to 60% of electricity network connection expenses. The aid is capped at €60,000 for network connection costs and €40,000 for other deployment expenses per company.

Luxembourg has already conducted two calls for projects to provide financial assistance to companies investing in EV charging infrastructure. A third call is scheduled to run from 1 December 2023 to 1 February 2024.

Furthermore, Luxembourg is encouraging the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles (categories M2, M3, N2, N3, and T) through another call for projects open from 15 September to 15 November 2023, with aid intensities of up to 70%.

10,401 new electric cars were registered in Luxembourg during the first eight months of the year, accounting for over 30% of new registrations and surpassing diesel-powered vehicles, the ministries noted. Currently, 7.52% of cars registered in Luxembourg are electric, including both pure electric and plug-in hybrid models, reflecting one of the highest electrification rates in the European Union, trailing only Sweden and Denmark.