Germany to launch tender for network of 1,000 e-car fast-charging stations

Germany will launch a Europe-wide tender for the construction and operation of a nationwide fast-charging network at 1000 locations, the government has decided. By 2023 the network should be operational, transport minister Andreas Scheuer said in a press release. The government reasons that only a forward-looking infrastructure expansion will increase the acceptance and attractiveness of battery-electric mobility. Until now, funding schemes for charging points have not resulted in a consumer-friendly, reliable and nationwide infrastructure, the ministry writes. “With the charging infrastructure, an efficient and non-discriminatory accessible backbone of electromobility is created with uniform specifications to ensure user-friendliness.” However, with a view to the 2030 target, even the new locations only make up a small proportion of the necessary overall network, the ministry says.

Via the tenders, the government will select operators who will set up and operate the hubs. The operators are legally obliged to install the charging points in precisely defined regions, within a certain time frame and with corresponding standards. Ingbert Liebing, head of utility association VKU said it was “a good week for electromobility” but cautioned that municipal utilities must be allowed to participate in the fast-charging programme, which must allow for “real competition” in the tenders, and must not be dominated by “just a few big players”.

A lack of charging infrastructure is often seen as a bottleneck for the rollout of millions of e-cars over the next decade. E-car sales have picked up significantly thanks to national support programmes in recent months.