What must buildings provide for charging?
The company's own new office has 40 parking spaces. The architect asks how many need a charge point, and how many need cabling for later.
An employee also asks whether she may install a wallbox at her rented flat.
The questionWhat does EU law ask of buildings, and of landlords?
spaces with a recharging point
spaces with a recharging point, pre-cabling for half
of spaces pre-cabled, ducting for the rest, at least one point
spaces with a recharging point by 1 January 2027, or ducting for half
Also for buildings undergoing major renovation, where the car park is inside or adjacent and part of the works.
The office car park
For a new office building with more than five parking spaces, Member States must ensure at least one recharging point for every two spaces. The company's 40 spaces therefore need at least 20 charge points. The installation must allow the simultaneous and efficient use of these charge points and support, where appropriate and feasible, a load or recharging management system. The charge points must be capable of and, where appropriate, , using non-proprietary protocols.
A right to install
The directive asks Member States to remove barriers to installing charge points in residential buildings, in particular the need for consent from landlords or co-owners for a private charge point for own use. A request by tenants or co-owners may be refused only on serious and legitimate grounds. As a directive, these rules reach the employee through national law.
Check your understanding
3 questions. Answer all of them to complete this stop. Each answer explains itself.
A new office building has 40 parking spaces. How many recharging points does the EPBD require at least?
For new office buildings with more than five spaces: at least one recharging point for every two spaces.
On what grounds may a landlord refuse a tenant's request to install a wallbox?
Article 14(8): a request may be refused only if there are serious and legitimate grounds.
What must charge points required by the EPBD be capable of?
Article 14(6) requires smart and, where appropriate, bidirectional capability with non-proprietary protocols.
- Bidirectional charging Smart charging in which the electricity can also flow from the car's battery back to the charging point. Bidirectional charging, stop 01 Glossary
- Smart charging Charging whose power is adjusted in real time, based on information received electronically, for example from the grid operator or a price signal; EU law calls it smart recharging. Bidirectional charging, stop 01 Glossary
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), Article 14. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), Article 14. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), Article 14. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), Article 14. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast), Article 14. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
- European Union: Types of legislation: regulations, directives and other acts. https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/law/types-legislation_en. Checked 09 Oct 2026.