In view of the EU’s climate neutrality goals, e-mobility and the development of e-charging infrastructure have become central policy priorities, increasingly attracting the attention of competition authorities. In her article published in the Austrian Journal of Competition Law (ÖZK), Teresa Greinecker explores how competition law shapes this emerging market. She examines whether oligopolies and collusion could impede the rollout of e-charging networks, whether competition law acts as a barrier or a catalyst for e-mobility, and how pricing and transparency affect market dynamics. Drawing on German and UK market studies, the article analyzes the Austrian e-charging market and highlights key differences from the fuel retail sector. It shows that ad-hoc charging promotes competition, while bundling may reduce price transparency. Although oligopoly formation and potential collusion have thus far been primarily observed in the fuel retail market, the findings indicate that such dynamics may also emerge in the e-charging infrastructure market. The article, which is based on Teresa’s bachelor thesis at The Competition Law Hub, is available here.
