Malta to hit 1,572 EV charging points by 2025

The number of charging points in Malta is set to increase to 1,572 by the end of 2025. This represents a four-fold increase in the number of charging points.

However, this represents only 24% of the total 6,500 charging points the government is committed to introduce by 2030.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Ryan Callus, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli confirmed that the government plans to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) to 1,572 and the number of charging pillars to 786 “by the end of next year,” just five years before the 2030 deadline.

She also reiterated the government’s commitment to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) to 6,500 by 2030 as outlined in Malta’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which aims to reduce emissions by encouraging the transition to low-emission transport.

Dalli disclosed that 600 sites have been identified for the installation of charging pillars following extensive consultations with local councils, Enemalta and the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, followed by applications submitted to Transport Malta, with most approvals granted in recent months. A call for tenders for the installation of the charging pillars has also been issued and is in the final stage of evaluation.

The government also intends to issue a new call for additional sites for charging infrastructure in its next phase, which will include a number of new charging pillars in Gozo, supporting the strategy’s broader goal of achieving sustainable mobility across the islands.

In the budget speech for 2024 the Finance Minister had declared that work was underway to have 1,200 new charging points for electric vehicles. No deadline was given for completion of this project.

Previously the government had invested in 372 public charging points spread over 186 sites across Malta and Gozo.

He had also announced that a project is also underway where the Government will invest in a single national digital platform, to merge public charging points into a single system, for a complete and better service.

Malta’s LCDS emphasises the need for increased electrification in the transport sector to achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The deployment of a robust EV charging network is seen as critical to encouraging wider adoption of electric vehicles, supporting the shift from internal combustion engines to electrified options as part of the country’s long-term decarbonisation goals.