The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) has successfully completed the first tender for the Germany Network. A total of ten different companies will build and operate around 900 sites with almost 8,000 new, ultra-fast charging points for electric cars.
The BMDV today awarded the contracts to the following bidders:
- Allego GmbH
- BayWa Mobility Solutions GmbH
- E.ON Drive Infrastructure GmbH
- Eviny Elektrifisering AS
- Fastned Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
- EWE Go HOCHTIEF Ladepartner GmbH & Co. KG
- Mer Germany GmbH
- Pfalzwerke AG
- Total Energies Marketing Deutschland GmbH
- Via Deutschlandnetz (VINCI Concessions Deutschland GmbH)
With the Germany network, the BMDV is ensuring a nationwide, demand-oriented and user-friendly fast-charging network throughout the country that bridges any remaining ‘blank spots’ on the charging map. The tender for the regional lots of the Germany Network, now near completion, contains 900 locations with almost 8,000 fast-charging points all over Germany. They cover rural, urban as well as suburban areas. This makes the use of electric cars for medium and long journeys more attractive. An interactive map with all locations is available at: www.deutschlandnetz.de
Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing: “Individual mobility is a fundamental asset in a free society. Therefore, I’m delighted that as the Federal Transport Ministry, we are setting a milestone with the German network. It will ensure fast-charging options in Germany that are reliably available to users. Through the Germany Network, we are supplementing the expansion activities of charging infrastructure operators in a meaningful and targeted way. Simple, fast charging, without any gaps on the charging map, will become a reality.”
So that charging infrastructure is actually established throughout Germany, the BMDV defined 900 search areas for the Germany Network, in which the individual charging sites will be constructed. Charging locations will be available wherever users require the charging infrastructure. These search areas have been identified by the National Charging Centre for Charging Infrastructure and take into account existing fast-charging infrastructure as well as the increasing number of electric cars in the coming years. On behalf of the BMDV, and under the umbrella of the federally-owned NOW GmbH, the National Charging Centre for Charging Infrastructure has supported the expansion of charging infrastructure in Germany since 2020.
Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff, CEO of NOW GmbH: “In order to build up a nationwide and demand-oriented fast-charging network throughout Germany at the pace we need, market-driven activities of charging infrastructure operators are not sufficient. The Germany Network ensures that charging infrastructure is built in locations where charging poles would otherwise be built too late because of a lack of economic viability.”
The sites of the Germany Network will be attractively designed. All locations must fulfil defined standards with regard to user friendliness and customer convenience. For example, the operators that have been selected must ensure a high level of availability of the charging facilities. The users also benefit from a very high charging capacity. This is at least 200 kW per vehicle, even with high utilization of the sites.
Johannes Pallasch, Spokesperson of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure of NOW GmbH: “The Germany Network paves the way for electric mobility to enter the mass market. The competition between the bidders in the tender of the Germany Network and the standards that we require have generated the best concepts and solutions to bring fast-charging infrastructure in Germany to the next level. Users from all over the country will benefit from this.”
The BMDV did not select the future operators solely based on the lowest bid. Other relevant criteria in evaluating the bid were:
- Whether the operator could quickly build their sites, because they already were in possession of suitable land,
- How user-friendly the individual bidders intended to build their sites,
- How convincing the design of the new locations was.
The awarding of the contracts signals the completion of one part of the tender process for the Germany Network. The tender from Autobahn GmbH des Bundes for fast-charging locations at 200 non-serviced motorway service areas is currently in the final phase. The Germany Network thus contains a total of more than 1,000 locations in both tenders, thereby ensuring that the next fast-charging point can be reached from anywhere in Germany, within a matter of minutes.
Images (Source: National Centre for Charging Infrastructure):
Concept study of a Germany Network location:
High resolution
Normal resolution
Maps of the lots and the search areas (As of: 08/09/2021, PDF)