Legal framework for the tendering of 1,000 fast-charging hubs is established.
The “Act on the Provision of a Nationwide Fast-Charging Infrastructure for Pure Battery Electric Vehicles” (“Gesetz zur Bereitstellung flächende Schnellladeinfrastruktur für reine Batterieelektrofahrzeuge”), or Fast Charging Act (SchnellLG – Schnellladegesetz) for short, was passed by the Bundestag today. With this law, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is creating the legal framework for the targeted expansion of a Germany-wide network of fast-charging points. With around 1,000 additional fast-charging hubs, a close-knit fast-charging infrastructure network is to be created that will guarantee that demand can be met even at peak times and at previously uneconomical locations as the number of e-vehicle registrations increases.
Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure: “The next fast-charging station must be accessible within just a few minutes. That is why we are building 1,000 fast charging hubs nationwide by 2023. With the Fast Charging Act, we have now created the legal framework to launch the Europe-wide tender and thus the construction of the new sites. Only with a nationwide and user-friendly charging infrastructure can we inspire people to switch to climate-friendly electric cars. Fast charging with over 150 kilowatts is particularly important for providing an unlimited range of electric cars – whether in the city, on a country road or on the motorway.”
In close cooperation with the BMVI, the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, operating under the umbrella of NOW GmbH, has been coordinating and managing the activities for the expansion of the charging infrastructure in Germany since 2020.
Johannes Pallasch, spokesperson for the management team of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure: “Drivers of electric vehicles must be certain that they can rely on being able to recharge their batteries quickly and sufficiently, even on long journeys, regardless of where in Germany they are travelling. This requires a nationwide, demand-oriented and user-friendly fast-charging network. With the Fast Charging Act, we have now taken a historic step towards achieving this objective. The tendering process for the fast-charging network will then swiftly see this step being transformed into several thousand fast charging points at the designated locations.”
A tendering process, which will be based on the Fast Charging Act, will be employed in the future to ensure the efficient development of the planned fast-charging network for long-distance and medium-distance mobility. The concept of the tender will be presented to the German Bundestag shortly.
The tender is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2021.
Information on the tender procedure
- The tender is for so-called High Power Charging (HPC) charging infrastructure with a capacity of at least 150 kW at the respective charging points. The aim is to ensure fast charging for medium and long-distance mobility – complementing the private, public and commercial charging infrastructure already in place or under development, which will continue to receive funding support from the BMVI in parallel.
- The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure analyses the charging needs with the help of data on mobility and charging behaviour, on vehicle types and on the basis of the existing charging infrastructure. For this purpose, it uses the digital StandortTOOL location tool (www.standorttool.de). Based on the analyses, areas (search areas) for the construction of fast-charging locations are put out to tender.
- The tendering is carried out in at least 18 regional lots. The lots contain the previously defined search areas. The lots will be of different sizes. The interests of small and medium-sized enterprises will be taken into account when the lots are formed.
- Furthermore, there will also be nationwide lots located at rest areas along the federal motorways.
- The installation and guaranteed operation of the charging points are contractually obligatory for the bidders – unlike in previous and existing funding programmes. The federal government will also define supply and quality standards at the locations of the fast-charging network and ensure compliance with them.
- A volume of around 2 billion euros has been earmarked for the construction and operation of the fast-charging infrastructure.
Further information (in German): www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2021/kw20-de-schnellladegesetz-840252