After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Helmut Kohl established ten points to begin German reunification. With a ten-point program, former Siemens boss Heinrich von Pierer began the transformation from a large power company dependent on government contracts into today’s stock market heavyweight. If such big things can be achieved with few words, then it is surprising that the charging infrastructure master plan approved by the Federal Cabinet last week stipulates a total of 37 equivalent points so that progress can be made with the construction of new charging stations in the country.
Greater demand must be created through more electric vehicles and promoted “taking into account the budget situation”, a price transparency office must be created, accessibility must be strengthened, and a two-way charging program must be initiated. To save our honor, it is worth noting that about half of all points are aimed at reducing the bureaucratic obstacles that charging point operators face when they need space and network connections.
The only thing: This year we went on a long trip to the far corners of the country in an electric car and gained a lot of experience on the way. The lack of charging options isn’t one of them; we were completely alone in the A9’s state-of-the-art charging bay, where 20 cars can use electricity at the same time. Remember, two o’clock in the afternoon, not midnight.
The fact that the lack of expansion of charging infrastructure is to blame for the hesitation in switching to electric cars is a myth fueled by associations that politicians should not be fooled by. Instead, the government should focus on one thing: lowering electricity prices, i.e. creating a framework to offset rising electricity demand and also increase supply.
