Charging electric cars is not yet as easy as filling up at the gas pump. The policy promises to change that.
will filling up with electricity be as easy as filling up with gasoline or diesel?? This is at least the goal. But there is still a lot of work to be done in setting up the charging network for electric cars.
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Fast and inexpensive, nationwide, convenient and transparent: this is what the charging network for electric cars should look like one day. But there are still too few fast-charging stations, and many consumers are still at risk of getting lost in an opaque jungle of tariffs. Federal Transport Minister andreas scheuer (CSU) told the deutsche presse-agentur: "We have to make it possible for prices to be transparent for everyone, just as they are at the gas pump, across all providers, to make it clear that charging is possible anywhere and at any time."
The number of newly registered electric cars in germany has risen significantly in recent months, thanks in part to higher government subsidies. The boom is politically desired – and necessary in order to meet climate targets for transport. Because charging is expected to take place primarily at home in the future, the installation of private charging stations is also being promoted.
More fast-charging points
The publicly accessible charging network is also growing. According to the Federal Network Agency, there are currently around 45 charging stations in Germany.000 public charging points in germany – but only around 6 of them.500 fast charging points. By the year 2023, state-funded tenders are to be launched to install charging stations with a capacity of more than 150 kilowatts at 1.000 additional sites to be created, for example on trunk roads. But is that enough?
Consumers still have reservations about electric vehicles, especially with regard to range and suitability for everyday use, said ADAC traffic president Gerhard Hillebrand. That is why progress in the charging infrastructure is so important. "Charging must become as easy as refueling. Currently, charging is often still a complex process – especially with regard to the payment options and the numerous different tariffs." from the consumer’s point of view, it would be important to create uniform standards and more transparency in prices. Markus emmert, chairman of the bundesverband emobilitat, said that customers need to know in advance how much their charging will cost.
Dense tariff jungle at charging stations
More comparability is needed in terms of prices, which are currently severely limited by the very different pricing structures, said peter hauk (CDU), Baden-Wurttemberg’s consumer protection minister. There should therefore be a market transparency office for charging rates – this is what the consumer protection ministers’ conference in may advocated on the initiative of baden-wurttemberg and berlin.
Charging point operators should be required to report prices, price components, occupancy status and payment options to this agency and update them on an ongoing basis. This data could provide transparency via the drivers’ apps.
So far, there is still a tariff jungle, said thorsten storck, energy expert at the comparison portal verivox. "There are countless combinations of prices per kilowatt hour, per charge, per minute, base fees, roaming fees and extra fees for fast charging." In addition, there are a large number of charging cards and apps that only work at certain charging stations. This would lead to large price differences. For customers, it would be easiest if they could choose a tariff that would then apply at every charging station. "This would require a mandatory throughput model, which already exists for the electricity grid, for example."
Operators must offer payment by credit or debit card in the future
A uniform payment system for ad-hoc charging at publicly accessible charging stations is the goal of the new charging station ordinance. In the future, operators must offer at least one contactless payment option using standard debit and credit cards. The regulation applies to all charging stations installed from 1 January 2010. July 2023, charging stations already in operation do not have to be retrofitted. Even people without smartphones should be able to charge and pay for electricity at the charging stations at any time, the ministry of economics had argued.
However, the energy industry is up in arms against the new obligation – it will lead to additional costs for suppliers and customers, according to the head of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), kerstin andreae. "Expansion is stalled, spontaneous ad-hoc charging is becoming more expensive, and the price transparency that is digitally ensured today is being lost with the card readers." scheuer said: "i think it is wrong that new charging stations have to be equipped with EC and credit card readers." he had made a statement on this in the cabinet. "This is yesterday’s regulation."
Price transparency: industry representatives see themselves on the right track
In terms of price transparency, the market has made enormous progress in recent years, andreae said. "Every e-car driver can charge at any charging station in germany and view the associated price before charging." in the meantime, kilowatt-hour-based rates have become the rule across the board. "The vast majority of charging service providers offer their customers fixed and transparent rates for normal and fast charging." as with mobile communications rates, customers would have a wide choice of rates that best suit their user behavior – such as frequent-driver rates or flat rates. If you don’t have a charging contract, or if your charging contract doesn’t cover the charging station in question, you can call up the price per kilowatt hour at the charging station for ad hoc charging, usually via a QR code.
"Typically, electromobility customers, similar to mobile phone customers, charge with a charging provider", said a spokeswoman for the provider and energy supplier enbw. A uniform price applies at around 95 percent of all charging stations in Germany. This would provide price transparency across providers. For ad-hoc charging, the price of the respective provider applies, just as for refueling at a gas station.
With contract-based charging, contract providers would need access to all charging points, said the president of the automotive industry association, hildegard muller. "One thing is clear: only simple, transparent and customer-friendly charging solutions can ensure that electromobility continues to take off in the future."