Energy industry says new charging plan insufficient for ramping up EV uptake
Clean Energy Wire
German energy industry associations have welcomed the government’s new ‘master plan’ to expand the country’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, but criticised that a holistic strategy is necessary to also speed up electric vehicle (EV) take-up.
“If the utilisation rate of many charging stations remains low because the uptake of electric vehicles falls short of expectations, the transport revolution will be unnecessarily slowed down,” said Ingbert Liebing, managing director of local utility association VKU. “That is why we need a holistic electric mobility strategy, one that also promotes the uptake of electric vehicles.”
Energy industry association BDEW welcomed especially measures to support new charging points in residential areas or in supermarket parking lots, and proposals to speed up planning and permitting. However, BDEW head Kerstin Andreae said it is “incomprehensible” that the government still does not provide a systematic assessment to support EVs in what is now the third master plan since 2019. “We now need a holistic e-mobility strategy that addresses not only the charging infrastructure but also the ramp-up of electric vehicles,” Andreae said. She called on the EU to keep existing CO2 limits for passenger cars as a key incentive.
The government cabinet adopted its master plan to improve the conditions for charging electric vehicles as a key factor for EV adoption. The plan was initially presented in October and spells out measures to make charging electric vehicles and trucks more attractive, for example by providing financial support for charging facilities in apartment blocks, ensuring more charging stations are accessible to disabled people, and expanding fast charging points for trucks along motorways.
Demand for EVs has remained below expectations in car-country Germany, presenting a significant hurdle to lowering transport sector emissions. However, e-mobility is slowly gaining momentum, recent data by BDEW shows.
The measures from the master plan can contribute to increase the appeal of e-mobility for consumers and aid their market ramp-up, said Hildegard Müller, head of car industry association VDA.
