Europe's public electric vehicle charging network has expanded to 1.3 million points, a 6% increase in the first four months of 2026, according to data from consultancy EVBoosters. But for drivers planning summer road trips, the cost and convenience of recharging remain highly uneven across the continent.
A price comparison by Compare the Market shows that a full recharge for a Tesla Model Y RWD can cost between €30 and €34 in Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. At the other end of the spectrum, drivers in Turkey, Ukraine, and Belarus pay as little as €4 for the same charge. Hungary follows at €5.69, and Norway at €5.81.
Fast-Charger Density: Norway Leads, Southern Europe Lags
Norway stands out as an EV paradise, combining low costs with the highest density of DC fast chargers (over 22 kW) per 1,000 residents. Denmark ranks second with 1.54 fast chargers per thousand people, followed by Austria and Sweden at 1.05 each. On the flip side, Hungary (0.17), Greece (0.18), Poland (0.18), and Ireland (0.23) have the lowest rates of fast-charging points per capita.
When considering all charging points—both AC and DC—the Netherlands leads with 12 stations per thousand residents, ahead of Belgium and Denmark at around 9 each. However, most Dutch points are AC, which are slower and better suited for overnight or home charging.
“This shows why total charge point numbers alone are no longer enough to assess market maturity. The composition of the network now matters just as much as its size,” said an EVBoosters representative.
In absolute numbers, the Netherlands, Germany, and France dominate, each with around 200,000 or more charging stations. The Netherlands tops the list with over 220,000, but the majority are AC units.
For drivers in countries like Greece, where fast-charger density is low, planning longer journeys requires extra caution. Meanwhile, Greece's PosoKanei app helps shoppers compare supermarket prices in real time, but no equivalent tool exists yet for EV charging costs across borders.
The data underscores a broader trend: while the EU pushes for a unified green transport transition, the reality on the ground remains fragmented. Countries with strong early adoption and targeted subsidies, like Norway and the Netherlands, have built robust networks. Others, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, are still catching up.
For EV owners, the message is clear: where you charge matters as much as how much you pay. As the network grows, the gap between the best and worst-served regions may narrow, but for now, planning a cross-border trip requires checking both cost and charger type.
