Europe sets forth EV infrastructure plans

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The European Automobile Manufacturer's Association has agreed on a set of standards for the plugs and sockets needed to recharge electric vehicles. The unified standard will allow Europe to more quickly develop an infrastructure capable of handling the vehicles, with several all-electric models scheduled to come to market over the next few years.

The organization, also known by the abbreviation ACEA for its French name, counts many of the world's largest automakers amongst its membership. BMW, Daimler, Fiat, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault, Volkswagen and Volvo are all part of the group. The European divisions of Ford, General Motors and Toyota are also members, as well as several commercial vehicle manufacturers.

"We want to avoid a situation where customers have to carry a multitude of charging cables to use their vehicles in different cities, regions and countries, just as we see today with items like mobile phones," said ACEA Secretary General Ivan Hodac in a statement to Automotive News.

Standards already agreed upon by the group only relate to overnight and slow-charging of vehicle batteries. The body's members have not yet been able to reach accord about quick charges, considered a more difficult and controversial issue because of the research and development still needed for a solution, the group said.

Because of the group's global membership, the ACEA's European standard could become a worldwide standard.