Germany has kick-started the expansion of charging stations. Electric car sales lag

The expansion of Germany’s charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is gathering pace. The same cannot be said of the growth in new electric vehicle registrations, however. These fell by 5% year-on-year in October. The foreign news site Clean Energy Wire reported.

Germany’s electric vehicle charging network expanded by 45,000 charging points in the first half of this year, bringing the total to nearly 150,000. According to data from German regulator BNetzA, the charging infrastructure includes around 31,000 fast-charging points with an output of at least 22 kilowatts.

With electric vehicle sales remaining low, battery-electric vehicle drivers in Germany are gaining better access to the charging network. According to the VDA association, as of mid-year there were 17.3 battery-electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids per charging station. That is a year-on-year decrease of almost 4 vehicles.

The VDA says it is still important to maintain momentum and continue developing the charging infrastructure. According to the association’s president, Hildegard Müller, the availability of charging stations is a key factor for many people considering buying an electric vehicle.

Electric vehicle sales are falling in Germany

Despite the rapid expansion of charging infrastructure, electric vehicle sales in Germany are falling this year. According to Clean Energy Wire, 35,500 electric vehicles were sold in October, a year-on-year decrease of 5%. Electric vehicles accounted for 15% of all new vehicle registrations, compared with 20% last year.

One reason for the decline in electric vehicle sales, according to the German automotive industry, is the increase in EU tariffs on electric vehicles from China. Industry representatives have criticised the measures, arguing that similar policies slow the transition to electric mobility.

Another frequently cited reason for the decline is the gradual phase-out of government support for electric vehicle purchases. At the beginning of 2023, the subsidy for buyers was reduced, leading to a temporary drop in new registrations. Support for company electric vehicles was also ended in September 2023, and following the budget crisis at the end of the year, the government decided to end all support for electric vehicles almost overnight.