The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide a €35 million loan to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Central and Eastern Europe, backing plans by charging operator Eleport to significantly scale up its fast-charging network.
The financing will enable Eleport to develop more than 250 new fast-charging parks by 2028 in Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The expansion will also mark Eleport’s entry into the Czech and Slovak markets.
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Founded in 2016, Eleport currently operates more than 400 charging sites with over 800 charging points across six European countries, around half of which are direct current (DC) fast chargers. The new charging parks will be located primarily at shopping centres and commercial hubs, with each site expected to feature up to 12 fast-charging points delivering up to 400 kilowatts of power, although the company has not disclosed how many sites will be allocated to each country.
“By building multi-plug fast-charging hubs at everyday destinations like shopping centres and retail parks, we make charging something that happens in the background, without extra waiting or an extra stop,” said Jakub Miler, chief executive of Eleport.
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The loan is being provided by the European Investment Bank under the InvestEU programme, which is designed to mobilise investment in sustainable infrastructure, competitiveness and the European Union’s green transition. InvestEU aims to unlock more than €372 billion in additional investments between 2021 and 2027.
“Scaling up fast-charging infrastructure is essential to accelerate the shift to electric mobility and reduce emissions from road transport,” said Karl Nehammer, vice-president of the EIB. “This operation demonstrates how we can provide innovative, long-term financing to fast-growing companies delivering high-impact sustainable infrastructure.”
The expansion comes as Central and Eastern European countries seek to close gaps in charging availability compared with Western Europe, amid rising EV adoption and tighter emissions targets across the bloc.