Private charging infrastructure: For the first time, federal government to support the purchase and installation of private charging stations

Andreas Scheuer: “With immediate effect, we are providing funding support for tenants, homeowners and landlords to install private charging stations at their parking spaces. The federal government is providing a €900 subsidy for this purpose. This will bring us a decisive step closer to our goal of making charging stations available to everyone, anywhere, anytime. After all, a majority of the charging processes will take place at the home. With our Charging Infrastructure Master Plan, we are establishing blanket coverage. This National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, which opens today, will ensure rapid implementation.”

Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff, Managing Director of NOW GmbH: “For the first time, the federal government is now making it possible to obtain funding support from the BMVI for private charging stations for homeowners and tenants. We are also working together with the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure to ensure that, in the future, the nearest fast charging station will be no more than 10 minutes away. These are decisive improvements towards enhancing the attractiveness of electric mobility and will lend a tremendous impulse to its proliferation.”

About the funding support:

Who may lodge funding submissions?

Eligible are sponsors of investment measures for the installation of charging stations for electric cars in the non-public area of owner-occupied or rented residential buildings. Sponsors of investment measures include, for example, private individuals, apartment owners’ associations, housing companies, housing cooperatives and property developers. Not eligible to apply are regional public authorities, legally dependent enterprises of municipal authorities, associations of municipalities, special purpose associations and churches.

What is being supported?

Funding support is offered for the acquisition and construction of brand-new, non-publicly accessible charging stations, including the electrical connection (grid connection) and any necessary ancillary work (see “How is the funding support being provided?”) for a definition of total costs,) at parking spaces in existing residential buildings in Germany, if, among other factors:

• The charging station has a normal charging capacity of 11 kW
• The electricity is produced 100 percent from renewable energies
• The charging station is intelligent and controllable (with regard to its network serviceability)

How is the funding support being provided?

Funding is provided in the form of an investment grant, which is transferred to your bank account after completion of your project. The grant is a flat rate of €900 per charging point. If the total cost of the project is less than the grant amount, no support will be granted. The grant can be applied for from the German Development Bank (KfW – Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) via its grant portal. In determining the total costs, the following types of expenditures may be included:

• Charging station
• Energy management system/charging management system for controlling charging stations
• Electrical connection (grid connection)
• Necessary electrical installation work (such as earthworks)

Applications can be submitted to the KfW from 24 November 2020 onwards. Detailed information concerning funding as well as the application procedure can be found at www.kfw.de/440 (in German).

About the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure:

Acting on behalf of the BMVI and under the umbrella of the federally owned NOW GmbH, the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure coordinates and controls the activities to expand the charging infrastructure in Germany. It provides support in planning, implementing and promoting charging infrastructure. Data is collected to gain a better understanding of the demand for charging points. It also networks all important players and shares its knowledge. And it keeps users firmly in mind at all times.

What are the key tasks of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure?

• To be aware of the demand and planning accordingly – With the StandortTOOL (location tool), the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure has a planning tool at its disposal that enables it to plan the necessary charging infrastructure for passenger cars throughout Germany up to the year 2030 and to calculate the further expansion requirements.
• To bring landowners and investors together – With the FlächenTOOL (plot tool), the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure is creating a digital platform to provide an overview of potential plots in Germany that are suitable for the development of necessary charging infrastructure and to bring the owners of such plots and investors together. The first version of the FlächenTOOL is scheduled to go online at the end of 2020.
• To standardise technology – The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure will work on standardising the technology employed for charging vehicles and subsequent payment, in order to improve the aspect of user convenience (roaming and calibration regulations).
• Monitoring and analysis – The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure has been conceived as a pool of knowledge relating to all aspects of charging infrastructure. It is here that reliable scientific, technical and business intelligence on charging infrastructure is gathered. Where this knowledge is not yet available, the Centre will acquire it through its own studies

What are the goals?

• The next fast charging station must be located within 10 minutes.
• The expansion of a public fast-charging network with 1000 locations by the end of 2023, covering charging needs during extended journeys and in day-to-day situations in urban areas.
• The installation of 50,000 publicly accessible fast and normal charging points by the end of 2021.
• Acceleration of the development of private charging infrastructure through financial support and improved legal framework conditions.
• A user-friendly public charging infrastructure with easy-to-find charging points that function reliably and invoice the charging process transparently using common payment methods.

Facts & figures on charging infrastructure:

Charging infrastructure in Germany according to the charging point register of the BNetzA:

 
Funded charging points approved and in operation:

 
CP – Charging point
NCP – Normal charging point
FCP– Fast charging point

 
More information on the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure (in German): www.nationale-leitstelle.de