Despite a decline in new registrations of electric cars in Germany, the public charging infrastructure continues to develop positively. Since the German government discontinued the purchase premium for battery electric vehicles (BEV) at the end of 2023, sales figures have fallen significantly. So far in 2024, around 111,000 fewer e-cars have been registered than in the same period last year. At the same time, the expansion of charging stations continues to gather pace, improving the availability of charging points per vehicle.
Expansion of the charging infrastructure: significantly more charging points available
According to the Federal Network Agency, there were 114,794 public AC charging points and 31,063 DC fast charging stations across Germany as of September 1, 2024. A year earlier, the number was 72,829 AC and 21,498 DC charging points. This development shows that the charging network is growing strongly despite stagnating sales figures in the field of electromobility, thus laying the foundation for increasing e-mobility. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) points out that there are currently 17.3 electric vehicles per charging point, which is an improvement on the rate of 21 vehicles per charging point in the previous year.
In the federal states Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia the ratio is particularly good. There are only around 12 vehicles per charging point, although this is also due to the low penetration of electric cars in these regions. The worst ratios are found in Saarland (24.3 vehicles per charging point) and Rhineland-Palatinate (21.7 vehicles per charging point).
Obstacles to charging expansion: VDA calls for more support
The VDA nevertheless sees a need for further action. According to President Hildegard Müller, the charging infrastructure is a decisive factor in motivating more people to switch to e-mobility. She calls for existing bureaucratic hurdles to be removed in order to accelerate the expansion even more. The association advocates close cooperation between politicians and the automotive industry in order to establish targeted measures for a nationwide and reliable charging infrastructure.
The figures from the Federal Network Agency show a clear trend towards more publicly accessible charging points. While there was often talk of too few charging options in 2023, this situation now seems to be easing, at least in some regions.
Tesla and other e-car manufacturers: increasing competition for charging infrastructure
Tesla is one of the pioneers in setting up its own charging infrastructure and offers its customers an exclusive network of Superchargers. In Germany Tesla is currently planning to open these stations to other electric vehicles in order to meet the increasing demand and maximize the use of the stations. This could help to further relieve the pressure on public charging points and at the same time increase the attractiveness of the Tesla-models such as the Model Y and Model 3 increase.
The decision by Tesla, to open up the Supercharger network to all brands shows the increasing competitive pressure in the charging infrastructure sector. This is a clear advantage for users, who gain more flexibility in their choice of charging stations. The expansion of the network of Superchargers and public charging points could also have a positive impact on the decision to buy an electric car, especially in times without government subsidies.
Conclusion: Solid basis for future e-mobility
Although sales of electric vehicles are currently declining somewhat, the expansion of the charging infrastructure creates a solid foundation for the future. The availability of more charging points per vehicle could help to allay potential buyers' fears of charging bottlenecks. For Tesla and other manufacturers, the expansion and opening up of their charging stations remains an opportunity to further increase the acceptance of electric cars and drive the transition to electromobility.
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