Electric cars: There are so few charging stations along the freeways

Created: 03/30/2022, 07:39

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

The expansion of the charging infrastructure is progressing slowly - now it has become known how few fast charging stations there are along German autobahns.

Berlin – Even if many motorists are still skeptical about e-mobility, the number of electric vehicles on German roads is constantly increasing.

According to a recent survey, every tenth household is planning to buy an electric car.

Many potential e-car customers are primarily concerned about two issues: the range of the e-vehicles and the search for appropriate landing options.

In fact, as the VDA recently complained, the expansion of the charging infrastructure is progressing rather slowly.

Charging stations are in short supply, especially along the freeways, as reported by 24auto.de.

Electric cars: There are so few charging stations along the freeways

Of course, the charging infrastructure is not an urgent problem for every e-car driver: If you can easily charge your Stromer at home on a wall box - and therefore always start fully charged, you can perhaps get by for most of the year without a public charging station.

Of course, this only applies if he does not travel long distances.

However, many e-car drivers could face problems, especially when they are on vacation – because most e-cars have to be stopped for charging after 400 to 500 kilometers at the latest.

Fast charging stations - like here from Ionity - are few and far between along the German autobahns.

(Iconic image) © Kirchner-Media/Imago

Electric cars: Only 224 fast charging stations along German autobahns

And because charging an e-car takes significantly longer than refueling a vehicle with a combustion engine, there should be enough charging stations along the freeways.

Stromers are only refueled reasonably quickly at so-called quick charging stations - but these are currently still in short supply.

Just 224 fast charging stations with a charging capacity of at least 150 kW can be found at around 400 locations of the largest German operator Autobahn Tank & Rast GmbH.

A total of only 715 charging points are available.

The numbers come from a response from the federal government to a request from the Left Party.

Electric cars: A total of 55,205 publicly accessible charging points in Germany.

Even when it comes to charging stations that aren’t so fast, things aren’t exactly looking rosy: because there are only 1,359 charging points for electric cars at the 358 Tank&Rast locations – but that already includes the 715 fast charging points.

This means that even those who can manage with less charging power may have to search longer, because there are only 614 of the slower charging points. A total of 55,205 publicly accessible charging points are available in Germany.