Germany makes only slow progress in expanding the charging infrastructure for e-cars. Recently, 17 e-cars and plug-in hybrids had to share a public charging point, the “Spiegel” reports. In January 2023, it was still 23 vehicles.
The Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) sees a trend reversal, with the gap between supply and demand growing between 2020 and 2022. Yet, VDA President Hildegard Müller considers the expansion pace too slow. “Even a third of the municipalities in Germany still have no public charging point” she criticizes. Nearly three-quarters of all municipalities have no fast charging stations.
The VDA’s calculation is based on data from the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Motor Transport Authority from September, with no more recent figures available. As of Germany, over 145,000 charging points were in operation, with around 31,000 of those being fast chargers. Since the latter were installed more frequently, the average charging power of 1.5 kilowatts per e-car in January 2023 rose to 2.1 kilowatts in September 2024.
Last year, the technology transition stalled. However, analysts and management consultants expect a comeback of e-cars for 2025: Manufacturers must meet stricter CO2 targets – and may be forced to reduce prices.