Madrid approves new measures to promote emobility

Madrid City Council approved today 30 March its first Air Quality and Sustainability Ordinance. It will come into force the day after its publication in the Official Bulletin of the Region of Madrid (BOCM). It is worth noting that the Ordinance has counted with the Socialist Party’s vote in favour despite it being in the opposition in the City Council.

This regulation focuses on four objectives:

1. Improve air quality.
2. Reduce pollution.
3. Promote energy efficiency.
4. Promote emobility.

In this post I am going to analyse the novelties related to the fourth point, emobility. The final text of the new ordinance has not yet been published (it will be published in the BOCM), but the draft ordinance (here), as well as the information on the amendments introduced in the municipal plenary are sufficient to make a first assessment.

The main novelties are the following:

1. From 1 January 2023, all car parks in non-residential buildings must have at least one electric charging point for every 40 ordinary parking spaces.
2. In new car parks in non-residential buildings, the minimum percentage of electric charging infrastructure shall be 10%. In other words, for every 10 parking spaces, an electric charging point must be provided. In new public car parks, in addition to these requirements, the possibility of requiring additional infrastructures to promote electric mobility will be analysed by the City Council.
3. In newly constructed residential buildings, 70% of ordinary parking spaces must have electrical conduits for the installation of a recharging point.
4. In newly constructed car parks in residential buildings, 100% of ordinary parking spaces must have electrical conduits so that a charging point can be installed. For car parks in single-family dwellings, it will be compulsory to have a recharging point for electric vehicles.
5. Charging stations shall be prepared for standardised modes of charging.
6. Enforcement officers shall monitor the emissions of vehicles in circulation and may require certain vehicles to undergo an occasional MOT check when they detect high smoke emissions.
7. Fines for non-compliance with the new Ordinance will range from €750 to €3,000.

In summary, the Madrid City Council raises the requirement for the number of electric charging points in car parks in residential and non-residential buildings, standardises charging stations and grants authority agents the power to supervise the emissions of vehicles in circulation.

All of this is a step forward in ensuring the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the daily use of electric vehicles in Madrid.