A recent parliamentary inquiry has revealed a significant disparity in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure availability across Germany. According to a response from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, nearly 45 percent of the country’s municipalities currently lack publicly accessible EV charging stations.
The data, obtained in response to a question posed by Dietmar Bartsch, Member of Parliament, indicates that 4,923 out of 10,978 municipalities do not offer public EV charging facilities. However, the picture shifts considerably when focusing on larger communities, with approximately 98 percent of municipalities boasting a population exceeding 5,000 residents equipped with at least one publicly accessible charging point.
Full coverage is presently found in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen, as well as the states of Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia. Conversely, Rhineland-Palatinate exhibits the weakest infrastructure development, with publicly accessible charging facilities available in only 26.5 percent of its municipalities.
The findings highlight a potential impediment to the broader adoption of electric vehicles. Dietmar Bartsch commented that the lack of widespread charging infrastructure represents a setback for Germany’s transition to electric mobility. He emphasized that affordability and range are crucial factors for consumer adoption, but equally important is a robust national infrastructure. The disparity, particularly impacting rural areas where up to three-quarters of municipalities may lack charging points, raises concerns about unequal access and regional disadvantage.
The parliamentary inquiry also revealed that the German government has allocated approximately €9.5 billion in funding for the promotion of electric vehicles since the commencement of state support programs until the end of July of this year. Despite this considerable investment, concerns remain regarding the overall performance of the German automotive industry, with infrastructure deficits being cited as a contributing factor.
