April introduced several policy changes with immediate implications for charging infrastructure deployment and operations.
In California, the CEC’s reliability standards became legally enforceable on April 1. The 97% uptime requirement, OCPP 2.0.1 obligations, and semiannual reporting are now binding on all publicly funded DCFC. In the same state, AB 2748 is moving through the legislature and could exempt a decade of affordable housing construction from CalGreen charging requirements entirely.
Across the Pacific, three Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions are reaching for different policy levers, capital, regulation, and planning, to address the same constraint: infrastructure deployment lagging EV adoption.
We cover these alongside the BSI consultation on EV charging accessibility and a busy month of incentive updates across Spain, the Netherlands, and four US states.
Here’s what changed in April and what it means for your operations.
Regulatory developments
BS EN 18324: public consultation on EV charging accessibility
BSI collected public comments on draft standard BS EN 18324, which sets accessibility requirements for EV charging stations using a Universal Design approach. The consultation closed on April 28, 2026. Its scope covers EVSE specification, charging space layout, digital interfaces, and payment platforms across both public and private infrastructure. Both conductive and wireless charging are in scope.
This is an early-stage standard, but its scope suggests it could shape future EU-wide accessibility requirements.
What to do:
Operators with public infrastructure across EU markets should review the draft, particularly given its potential to inform broader European accessibility frameworks downstream.
California: CEC EV charger data and reliability standards now in force
The California Energy Commission’s EV Charger Data and Reliability Standards became enforceable on April 1, 2026. They apply to operators, charging network providers (CNPs), and funding recipients of publicly or ratepayer-funded AC Level 2 and DCFC chargers installed on or after January 1, 2024. The 97% uptime mandate itself took effect on January 1, as we covered in January. Three deadlines structure the compliance calendar.
Now: Publicly funded DCFC must maintain 97% annual average uptime per port for the first six years after installation. CNPs must expose real-time port status, pricing, and availability through OCPI 2.2.1 to third-party developers at no charge, updated within one minute of any change.
September 28, 2026: All newly installed publicly funded networked DCFC must be OCPP 2.0.1 certified and connected to an enrolled CNP, which must transmit protocol data to the CEC within 60 minutes. Chargers installed between January 2024 and September 2026 must either adopt the same OCPP 2.0.1 reporting path or record operative status at 15-minute intervals for six years.
January 31, 2027: First semiannual inventory and uptime reports for H2 2026 are due to the CEC Data Submission Portal.
The CEC will publish biennial CNP reliability rankings and may enforce compliance through grant terms and civil penalties under Public Resources Code § 25321.
What this means:
The September deadline arrives faster than it reads. Operators receiving public funding should align internal monitoring systems and CNP enrollment workflows now. AMPECO already provides native OCPP 2.0.1 support and 15-minute interval data collection, so operators on the platform can meet the reporting path without additional development.
California AB 2748: proposed waiver for affordable housing
California AB 2748 (Quirk-Silva) would exempt 100% deed-restricted affordable housing developments from Level 2+ EV charging installation requirements under CalGreen, for permits filed between January 2025 and December 2035. Backers cite costs of $1,000 to $2,500 per unit.
The bill is in direct tension with the 2025 CalGreen Code, in force since January 2026, which requires EV charging rough-in for up to 40% of parking spaces and EVSE in 50% of common-use spaces, with no existing affordable housing carve-out.
If passed, the exemption would apply to a decade of affordable housing construction, including the state’s target of one million additional low-income units by 2030. That creates a structural gap in charging access for lower-income Californians and a costly future retrofit problem for operators eventually serving those buildings. The bill is under active legislative consideration.
The strategic context:
California is simultaneously raising the bar on charger reliability for existing infrastructure while potentially lowering it for new affordable housing construction. The two policies are not coordinated. Operators with California exposure should track AB 2748’s progression closely.
Australia and New Zealand: three jurisdictions, three policy levers
Three significant policy developments across the region this month signal a maturation of EV infrastructure frameworks – moving from early-stage incentives toward systemic regulatory reform and targeted capital deployment.
New South Wales released its updated EV Strategy on April 14, backed by AUD 100 million targeting fast chargers in regional and suburban blackspots, expanded curbside charging, and an extended EV Fleets Incentive Program that now covers medium trucks. Cumulative state investment exceeds AUD 330 million across 3,250 plugs at 1,247 sites. EVs reached 8.9% of new light vehicle sales in 2025, against a 50% BEV target by 2030.
Victoria issued an EV Charging Regulatory Statement signaling a shift from consumer subsidies to infrastructure regulation. It sets four priorities: affordable EV-specific tariffs, mandatory distribution network transparency on connection timeframes and costs, oversight of curbside pole rental fees (alongside the AER’s July 2026 reforms), and V2G enablement. Networks and the regulator are explicitly on notice that state intervention is on the table.
New Zealand’s NES-ETA amendments take effect May 7, 2026. They replace fragmented district plan rules with nationally consistent permitted activity standards across four charger categories. The reforms complement a $52.7 million zero-interest loan facility with ChargeNet and Meridian, targeting 2,500+ additional public charge points against a current base of around 1,800.
The regional pattern:
All three jurisdictions are addressing the same constraint, infrastructure lagging adoption, but using different policy levers. NSW is deploying capital, Victoria is reforming regulation, and New Zealand is removing planning barriers. The region is shifting from EV incentive programs to infrastructure enablement as the primary policy focus.
Funding and incentive updates
Spain: 15% IRPF deduction extended through 2026
Spain has extended its 15% IRPF deduction for EV charging point installations through December 31, 2026, with a maximum deduction base of €4,000 per taxpayer. This sits alongside the MOVES III grant scheme, which provides companies up to €2.5 million for qualifying infrastructure. Businesses can also benefit from accelerated depreciation on charging assets placed into service this year.
There is no confirmed extension beyond 2026. Operators planning deployments in Spain should align procurement and installation timelines to capture available deductions. Any public subsidy received must be deducted from the base before calculating the deduction.
Netherlands: subsidy scheme for second-hand EV purchases
The Dutch cabinet is developing a subsidy scheme that would let low- and middle-income households buy a second-hand EV in exchange for scrapping an older combustion vehicle. Approximately €50 million is allocated, with implementation anticipated before the end of 2026. The formal announcement was scheduled for April 21. Figures remain provisional pending cabinet and parliamentary approval.
Pennsylvania: NEVI community charging funding rounds
Pennsylvania has allocated $171.5 million under the federal NEVI Formula Program. Having completed the corridor build-out phase, with 90 active projects across 43 counties totaling $58.4 million in federal investment, PennDOT received full build-out certification on September 22, 2025, and pivoted to community deployment.
Throughout 2026, PennDOT will run four regional funding rounds deploying $100 million toward community-focused EV charging infrastructure. Round 1 (Southeastern) opened February 19, 2026. Rounds 2 to 4, covering the Western, Central, and Eastern regions, follow through summer 2026.
Any organization registered to do business in Pennsylvania and not barred from receiving state or federal funds is eligible to apply. Proposals are submitted electronically. Regional timelines are fixed, with no stated extension provisions. Interested parties should file the NEVI Interested Organizations Survey promptly and direct inquiries to [email protected].
Minnesota: NEVI Formula Program Round 3 RFI
MnDOT’s Round 3 Request for Information was open through April 30, 2026, targeting up to $41.8 million in NEVI formula funds across 74 locations identified in the 2025 EV Infrastructure Needs Assessment. The RFI is a market intelligence exercise to inform the forthcoming Round 3 RFP, not a solicitation. MnDOT is separately designing a Greater Minnesota EV Infrastructure Community Program, a Level 2 charging initiative targeting up to 42 sites, with an RFP anticipated in spring 2026.
New York: NYSERDA NEVI AFC and Community Program
NYSERDA is soliciting proposals for DCFC deployment along Alternative Fuel Corridors and community sites, with up to $45 million in federal NEVI funding available. Round 1 closes June 23, 2026. The AFC Track is open immediately. The Community Track remains contingent on FHWA full build-out certification.
Each site must support at least four simultaneous charging sessions at 150 kW per port (minimum 600 kW site capacity), with both CCS and J3400/NACS connectors required. Proposals are ranked separately for Downstate (south of I-84) and Upstate sites.
Network operator takeaway:
This is a large, near-term funding opportunity with high technical thresholds, particularly on site capacity and dual-standard connector requirements. Optional webinars run on April 30 and May 19.
North Carolina: NEVI Round 2 RFP addendum
NCDOT issued Addendum No. 1 to its NEVI Round 2 RFP on April 16, 2026. It revises five core application documents from the original March 27 release: the RFP, Technical Requirements, Cost Proposal, Site Host Letter, and Utility Form.
Applicants must sign the acknowledgment form included in the addendum cover sheet and submit it through the “Additional Actions for Applications” on Jotform. Revised documents are available at www.NCDOT.gov/NEVI.
These state rounds show NEVI money moving again after the court ruling that restored the program in February.
AMPECO leadership and advocacy
Ivelina Kadiri elected Vice-Chair of E-Mobility Europe’s Infrastructure Working Group
Ivelina Kadiri, PhD, AMPECO’s Senior Regulatory Compliance Manager, has been elected Vice-Chair of E-Mobility Europe’s Infrastructure Working Group for 2026 to 2027. She serves alongside Gabrielė Simakauskaitė of Tesla, who takes the Chair role for the same period. The working group brings together members from across the charging sector to work through EU policy developments and develop practical responses to regulatory implementation challenges. It gives AMPECO another seat at the table where infrastructure rules are shaped.
AMPECO submits AFIR recommendations to the EU Commission
In its feedback to the Commission’s AFIR review, which we covered in March, AMPECO advocated targeted amendments to eliminate the technical and administrative bottlenecks that hold back the scale-up of Europe’s charging infrastructure. Our feedback prioritized consolidating 27 fragmented national reporting systems into a single EU-level gateway.
To safeguard operator economics, AMPECO also recommended against mandatory hardware retrofits for new protocol adoptions, and pointed to the need for ISO 15118-20 requirements on the vehicle type-approval side. Together, these narrow proposals aim to ensure regulatory certainty and a more seamless experience for EV drivers across the Single Market.
AMPECO backs Eurovignette toll exemptions for zero-emission trucks
In a push for sustainable road freight, AMPECO has joined a broad coalition of European businesses and civil society organizations calling for the full implementation of the Eurovignette Directive. In a joint letter to EU Transport Ministers on April 21, 2026, AMPECO and its partners urged Member States to use road toll exemptions for zero-emission trucks (ZETs).
Looking ahead
April’s policy activity points to a more uneven transition than a single narrative suggests. In California, reliability is now enforceable with clear metrics, deadlines, and consequences. At the same time, AB 2748 introduces the possibility of a long-term gap in charging access tied to new affordable housing development.
Elsewhere, the divergence is just as pronounced. New South Wales is accelerating deployment through capital, Victoria is signaling regulatory intervention to address structural bottlenecks, and New Zealand is removing planning friction to unlock buildout. Different tools, same constraint: infrastructure struggling to keep pace with adoption.
For operators, the challenge is less about anticipating where policy is headed and more about navigating how it is being implemented differently across markets.
We’ll continue tracking AB 2748’s progression, California’s September OCPP 2.0.1 compliance deadline, and the next wave of NEVI community deployments across the US.
Need help with California CEC reporting, NEVI community applications, or accessibility requirements?
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