European car manufacturers have defined a standard specification for connecting electric vehicles to the electricity grid.
A standard European charging point is seen to be crucial for installing a common infrastructure for charging EVs across the continent.
Ivan Hodac, secretary general of the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) said: "This is an important step towards the successful deployment of electrically chargeable vehicles. A uniform and user-friendly charging infrastructure is a prerequisite to build a market.
"We want to avoid a situation where customers have to carry a multitude of charging cables to use their vehicles in different cities, regions and countries."
Japanese and South Korean manufacturers have also been closely involved with the development, suggesting that the European specification could ultimately form the basis for a global standard.
A common specification across the EU will become standard for all new EVs by 2017.
