CENSATIMAll guides →Transport · EU Taxonomy Activity Guide
Road infrastructure and EV charging networks under the EU Taxonomy
The Taxonomy does not make motorways green, but it does make their electrification financeable: infrastructure dedicated to zero-emission road transport, public EV charging networks, hydrogen refuelling stations, and electric road systems, qualifies as enabling infrastructure under CCM 6.15. For charge-point operators, energy companies and infrastructure funds building out charging, this is the activity their green frameworks stand on.
Why this activity matters
Europe’s EV transition depends on charging infrastructure scaling ahead of the fleet, backed by AFIR mandates and multi-billion investment programmes from charge-point operators, utilities and fund-backed platforms. The Taxonomy gives that build-out a clean classification: infrastructure dedicated to the operation of zero-emission road vehicles qualifies, which covers public and fleet charging hubs, en-route fast charging, hydrogen refuelling, and supporting grid connections.
The dedication test does real work: the infrastructure must be for zero-emission transport, so mixed conventional road works do not qualify simply by including a charger, and anything dedicated to fossil fuel transport or storage is excluded outright. Pedestrian and cycle infrastructure also qualifies within the activity, a point urban infrastructure investors use. For CPOs the commercial punchline is simple: charging network CapEx maps almost one-to-one onto an aligned activity, which is why Taxonomy alignment features in nearly every charging green financing framework in the market.
What alignment requires
An enabling activity with a strict dedication test. In summary:
| Area | What is required (summarised) |
|---|---|
| Zero-emission dedication | Infrastructure dedicated to zero-emission road transport qualifies: EV charging stations and networks, hydrogen refuelling, electric road systems, and their supporting installations. |
| Active mobility | Infrastructure for pedestrians and cycling qualifies within the activity, reflecting its zero-emission nature. |
| Exclusions | General road capacity and any infrastructure dedicated to the transport or storage of fossil fuels are excluded; mixed projects qualify only for their dedicated zero-emission components. |
Summarised for orientation; the assessment itself applies the full criteria text of the Delegated Acts as amended.
Where DNSH scrutiny falls
Siting and routing screening for new sites and grid connections; standard for linear and nodal infrastructure.
Equipment end-of-life for chargers and electrical plant; construction waste management.
Construction-phase controls; transformer and switchgear considerations at larger hubs.
CRVA: flood exposure is the recurring item for charging hubs and substations.
Documentation that typically supports the assessment
- Infrastructure scope: sites, charger counts and capacities, or refuelling specifications
- Dedication evidence: the zero-emission purpose of each component
- Grid connection agreements and works descriptions
- Siting screening / EIA where applicable
- For programmes: the rollout schedule for portfolio assessment
How Censatim assesses it
Charging network assessments are dedication and scope exercises: our questioning confirms each component’s zero-emission purpose, screens the exclusions, and covers siting and equipment DNSH. Rollout programmes assess at portfolio level, producing the aligned CapEx classification charge-point operators and their lenders use in green frameworks.
Censatim is an expert-built EU Taxonomy assessment tool: describe the asset or activity in plain language, upload supporting documents, and answer a short set of targeted questions. The result is a criterion-by-criterion view with an In-line / Partial / Not aligned / Undetermined rating and a confidence level for each dimension. See the full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Assess road infrastructure and ev charging networks now
Free eligibility in under a minute. The sector and activity are pre-filled for you.