This ambitious initiative is part of a broader strategy by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) and involves an expected investment cycle of €200 million.
The HGK has recently established a Network of EV Charging Station Operators, bringing together companies that provide EV charging services. These companies are registered with the Croatian Office for the Registration of Alternative Fuel Stations (CRO IDRO) at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure.
Dino Novosel, president of the newly formed HGK group, emphasized that the creation of this network comes at a crucial time as Croatia faces ambitious goals for establishing critical EV charging infrastructure.
“The investment cycle of at least €200 million by 2030 stems from the recently adopted AFIR regulation. This investment will help Croatia achieve its target of increasing the share of renewable energy in transport from below 3% to at least 21%. The HGK group will work systematically to remove regulatory, technical, and operational barriers and positively shape the investment climate in collaboration with key stakeholders,” Novosel stated.
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which came into effect on April 13 this year, imposes several obligations on Croatia. It mandates that EU member states ensure the availability of EV charging stations every 60 kilometers on all major roads by 2025. The same requirement applies to heavy-duty vehicles, with a deadline of 2030.
Additionally, by the end of 2027, at least 50% of roads connected to the TEN-T corridor must be equipped with charging stations for light electric vehicles, with full coverage expected by the end of the decade.
To meet these requirements, Croatia needs to secure an additional 100 to 150 MW of connections by 2030, up from the current capacity of around 20 MW.
These measures are crucial for ensuring seamless mobility for electric vehicles across Europe, promoting a shift towards a more sustainable transport system—a key objective for the new HGK group.
