Smarter grids can save Europe €10 billion in grid investment

ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe could save €10 billion in electricity grid investment by making smarter use of existing grid capacity as electric vehicle uptake grows. A new study commissioned by EIT Urban Mobility, ChargeUp Europe and ACEA, and carried out by Siemens, finds that around €24.7 billion in electricity distribution grid investment would be required by 2030 to accommodate projected electric vehicle (EV) growth. Deploying intelligent EV Load Management could reduce this investment need to around €14 billion.

The study, Electricity Grids in Europe, assesses how the electrification of passenger cars and light duty vehicles will affect electricity distribution grids across the EU27 and three EEA countries, based on detailed modelling of 64 representative European cities.

The study highlights the role of EV Load Management, the intelligent coordination of when and how quickly electric vehicles charge to avoid overloading the grid during periods of peak electricity demand. Combined with grid digitalisation, smart charging enables electricity networks to make better use of existing capacity, reducing reinforcement needs while supporting the reliable integration of millions of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly over the coming years.

Charging behaviour is as important as vehicle uptake. By modelling residential, workplace, public, en route and depot charging separately, the study shows that where and when vehicles charge fundamentally shapes local grid demand and future investment needs. Around 55–62% of EV owners in the representative cities are expected to have access to residential charging by 2030, underscoring the growing importance of low voltage distribution grids in Europe's electrification. 

Among its key findings, the study also concludes that:

• EV growth will put every European city under grid pressure, BEV numbers are projected to grow 3.8× by 2030, and all 64 cities analysed require grid reinforcement to accommodate this growth
• The biggest pressure is on the low voltage grid: 77.7% of physical grid reinforcement investment is needed at low voltage, driven largely by residential EV charging
• Without load management, the study estimates €24.7B in grid investment. With load management, this falls to €14.1B, avoiding €10.6B in investment.