Algeria plans 1,000 electric car charging points for 2027

Mourad Adjal, minister of energy and renewable energies, announced on 20 October that 1,000 charging points for electric cars will be built across Algeria.

Algérie 360 reported that he made the announcement while presenting his sector's 2027 budget to the finance and budget committee of the People's National Assembly (APN).

What the plan includes

The charging points will be at service stations, some along the East-West motorway and others in towns across the country.

A full list of the sites, and their breakdown by wilaya, has not yet been published. The exact number of physical terminals has not been given, and one terminal can have several charging points.

The power of the points, whether fast or normal, and the types of plug have not been specified.

When the points can be used

Drivers cannot use the points yet. According to the minister, service is planned for 2027, once the charging price is set.

The opening depends on a decision on the price of charging, which the authorities must set for users of the points. No amount or payment method has been announced so far.

The report says owners of electric cars will have to wait several more months.

The future charging price must not be confused with the tariff for household electricity. On the same day, Adjal said no decision had been taken for now on a rise in electricity tariffs.

Sonelgaz leads the national charging programme. The first points opened on 26 July 2023 at the Parc des Sablettes in Algiers, with Adjal, then chief executive of Sonelgaz, presiding.

When those first points opened, Sonelgaz also announced free charging for citizens, to encourage people to buy electric and hybrid cars. The conditions of access may change before the network opens, the report says.

Delays and the wider industry

Sonelgaz had planned 1,000 stations by the end of 2024, including 300 before the end of 2023. The network is now built, but it is well behind that timetable.

The 2023 plan spoke of 1,000 "stations", while the minister now speaks of 1,000 "charging points". One station can hold several points, so the two counts are not the same.

The Egyptian group Elsewedy has announced a factory for electric vehicles in Algeria.

Algerian manufacturers already make charging points. The firms call them "Made in Algeria", and they are exported to Portugal, then Italy.

The industry hopes to benefit from the opening of the national network to develop on the domestic market.