AFID required EU Member States to develop national policy frameworks (NPFs) to ensure the availability and accessibility of alternative fuels infrastructure. These frameworks outlined objectives, targets, and measures each Member State would implement to build and maintain a network of recharging and refuelling stations. The directive aimed to create a cohesive strategy across the EU, ensuring all Member States contributed to developing alternative fuels infrastructure.
Under AFID, Member States had to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible recharging points for electric vehicles (EVs), considering the estimated number of EVs by the end of 2020. The directive also mandated establishing refuelling infrastructure for compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for road vehicles, and hydrogen refuelling stations in urban and suburban areas. The goal was to provide a seamless and interoperable network of recharging and refuelling stations to enable the widespread adoption of alternative fuel vehicles across the EU.
The directive also supported the development of shore-side electricity supply for vessels at ports and the provision of electricity to stationary aircraft at airports. This comprehensive approach aimed to integrate alternative fuels into various transport modes, enhancing the overall sustainability of the transport sector. In July 2021, the European Commission proposed replacing AFID with the AFIR to establish more ambitious and binding targets to accelerate the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure across the EU. This transition from a directive to a regulation underscores the EU’s commitment to achieving its environmental goals and supporting the widespread adoption of alternative fuel vehicles across Europe.