They are thrilled to present the first charging report comprising the findings from an analysis of public data on more than 1,800 charging point operators in Germany.
The data provides a detailed picture of the current state of charging infrastructure in Germany. It shows how the progress varies by region, how the build-up compares to the growing number of EVs and the most common ways to pay. Here is a quick rundown of the findings.
EV registrations outpace charging point build-up
EVs have more than doubled (+142%) over the course of 2020. At the same time, charging points have only increased by 27%.
This leads to a distorted picture: Whereas the ratio of registered EVs to public charging points appears to be in line with the goal of 1:10 this goal will not be reached with a continuation of the current development.
The market is highly fragmented
The Bundesnetzagentur listed more than 1,853 different operators of public charging points at the beginning of 2021.
Most of these have only entered the market in the past three years (1,263) and the vast majority operate 10 or fewer sites (1,618).
Three types of operators dominate the market
Out of the 50 operators with at least 100 charging points, most are energy providers, followed by dedicated charging point operators and retailers.
These groups of operators are coined by different characteristics. Energy providers, for example, have a strong regional focus – on average 92% of their charge points are located in a single federal state.
Payments vary widely
The most common form of payment with 25% is RFID followed by app payments (23%)
Payments are very diverse. Not only does the way they can pay for charging vary a lot but also what they pay for depends largely on the operator. The most common form of payment with 25% is RFID followed by app payments (23%).
More than half (52%) of the charging points charge for each kWh, but other pricing methods such as by duration, flat rates and combinations of volume and duration are also common practice. And 6% of charging points even give away the electricity for free.
Tesla leads the way
As of January 2021, Tesla drivers enjoy better infrastructure than drivers of other brands.
The American carmaker currently provides 1 fast charging point per 27 registered vehicles. This compares to a ratio of 1:74 when considering all public charging points and all EVs registered in Germany.