The MasterplanTOOL is especially geared towards local authorities, municipal associations and districts that are at the start of developing charging infrastructure or have little experience on the subject. It consists of two major parts: a publicly accessible information section with explanatory videos on the key phases of developing charging infrastructure and a planning part that is free to use after a short registration process.
In the planning part, users are first shown the current status as well as the future demand for charging infrastructure for each individual administrative unit added. Based on this information, they choose the appropriate measures from a catalogue and add them to their individual local master plan for the development of local charging infrastructure. Many measures contain direct links to further TOOLs, courses, guidelines and other helpful material that can support municipalities in implementing them.
A total of 64 measures are currently available that are divided into four phases: 1) Orientation and networking, 2) Planning 3) Awarding and approval 4) Construction and operation. Users have the option of adding their own measures or adapting existing measures in the tool for their own purposes. Multiple local master plans may be created. That is particularly helpful for people who are responsible for several municipalities. In addition, it is possible for several people to cooperate jointly on a master plan.
Johannes Pallasch, Head and Spokesperson of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure under the umbrella of NOW GmbH: “Our new MasterplanTOOL is further evidence that we at the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure consider municipalities as the central stakeholders in the development of local charging infrastructure. It is crucial that small- and medium-sized businesses in particular take a strategic approach to expanding their charging infrastructure options. This is where our MasterplanTOOL comes in: We provide structure and orientation for tailor-made local planning.”
The data used in the tool on the status and demand of charging infrastructure comes from the StandortTOOL (location tool) of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure and is based on nationally standardised, regularly updated data sources. The measures available in the MasterplanTOOL have been professionally curated by the Centre and combine tried-and-tested approaches from municipal practice.
The local master plan created via the MasterplanTOOL can serve as a central working basis for municipalities to structure internal cooperation and can be used as a basis for decision-making and coordination in the administrative and political sectors as well as a template for the municipal council or municipal committees.
A webinar on how the tool works in the planning phase. The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure will provide further information shortly on its media platforms.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV – Bundesministerium für Verkehr), the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure – under the umbrella of the federally owned NOW GmbH – coordinates and manages activities to expand the charging infrastructure in Germany. They provide support in planning, implementing and funding the charging infrastructure. They collect relevant data for a better understanding of the need for charging stations. They do this by networking with all the key stakeholders and sharing their knowledge. They always keep the users in mind.
