A study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) indicates that building a functional charging network for electric cars is cheaper than many think. According to the Saturday editions of the papers within the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, an investment of 500 million euros could prepare up to three million charging spots for future EV use.
The report finds that low‑ or interest‑free promotional loans with a repayment subsidy are especially effective. The idea is that a modest amount of subsidies can pull billions of euros of private investment into the sector.
Transport & Environment (T&E), a think‑tank that champions state subsidies to accelerate charging infrastructure for apartment dwellers, commissioned the study. T&E expert Susanne Goetz told the newspapers that people lacking a home charging option are at a disadvantage when switching to an EV, a situation that mainly affects residents of multi‑family buildings-often households with moderate to low incomes.
Goetz warns that the forthcoming revision of regulations on charging points for resident parking spots will offer little incentive for infrastructure expansion. “By doing so, the federal government is cementing a structural imbalance in electromobility. Those living in single‑family homes can charge conveniently and cheaply, while millions of tenants in apartment blocks are left behind-and that permanently” she said.