Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Germany - Statistics & facts
In March 2024, the Federal Government stated it aimed to have 15 million battery-electric vehicles on German roads by 2030. This would represent a growth of over 13 million compared to the 1.4 million all-electric cars registered in the country in 2023. To achieve this goal, the country will need to increase its electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As of July 2024, the German Federal Government spent around 2.62 billion euros in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure funding. As a result of this large financing effort, nearly 893,100 subsidized charging points were in operation in mid-2024. While most EV owners could install or already had access to private charging facilities, the German public charging network also needs to match the growing electric vehicle fleet.
The German public charging station volume and revenue are both projected to grow consistently through 2028. However, this market expansion faces various challenges. The current public charging infrastructure relies heavily on alternating current chargers, which tend to be slower than their direct current counterparts. Operators must also contend with consumer expectations to attract customers, especially when most current EV drivers reported having access to home charging. Differences among federal states also make a single, cohesive development more challenging.
A public charging infrastructure similar to other European countries
At the beginning of 2024, Germany counted nearly 125,400 public charging points along its roads. This volume, which was the largest in the recorded period, was primarily comprised of normal charging points with a charging speed equal to or under 22 kilowatts. The volume of fast charging points also grew since 2017, but Type 2 socket outlets, which are slower alternating current outlets, remained the most common plug type in the country. This prevalence of alternating current charging points over direct current charging points, typically faster, is similar to other European countries such as Spain and Sweden.Charging availability facing consumer expectations
Between June 2023 and June 2024, Germany had a monthly average uptime consistently over 95 percent. The electric vehicle charging uptime refers to the percentage of time during which a charging station is operational and available for use. This high rate of technical availability could match up with battery-electric vehicle drivers’ behavior at the charging station: Over a third of respondents to an October 2023 survey mentioned never waiting when a charging point was occupied, instead leaving without recharging. Another quarter of drivers reported a willingness to wait 15 minutes or less in this situation.Disparities between federal states
Bavaria, the second German federal state with the largest electric car fleet, was also the state with the biggest charging infrastructure as of January 2024. Despite this broad charging network, Bavarian chargers did not provide their users with the highest average capacity in the country. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Rhineland-Palatinate both had an average capacity per public charging point above 46 kilowatts, while Bavaria ranked seventh with nearly 35 kilowatts. Access to fast charging also differs between German states, as less populous states tended to have a smaller fast charging network.The German public charging station volume and revenue are both projected to grow consistently through 2028. However, this market expansion faces various challenges. The current public charging infrastructure relies heavily on alternating current chargers, which tend to be slower than their direct current counterparts. Operators must also contend with consumer expectations to attract customers, especially when most current EV drivers reported having access to home charging. Differences among federal states also make a single, cohesive development more challenging.
