Federal government maintains charging station requirement at petrol stations
Will it really come in 2028 – or later? Drivers of electric cars no longer have to ask themselves this question when it comes to the charging station requirement at petrol stations planned for 2028. At the request of parliament, the federal government has confirmed the planned implementation deadline, according to an article by Welt online. The government is thus rejecting representatives of the mineral oil industry who had previously called for the measure to be postponed until 2030 or 2032: BP Europe boss Patrick Wendeler criticized it as a “nonsensical planned economy instrument” as early as April 2024.
Charging stations mandatory at petrol stations in 2028
The legal situation: From 2028, all large petrol station operators in Germany with at least 200 petrol stations must have at least one fast-charging station with 150 kilowatts (kW) or more output at each location. Exceptions through hardship regulations or various flexibility mechanisms are conceivable, according to Welt online. The aim of the charging station requirement at petrol stations is to ensure a basic nationwide supply of fast-charging infrastructure – in addition to the creation of the so-called Germany network. In the long term, this should increase the attractiveness of electric cars for potential buyers.
Major goals of the government
According to Welt online, the federal government argued that postponing the charging station requirement at petrol stations would be counterproductive for the market ramp-up of electromobility. Here, too, the demands are high: by 2030, around 15 million electric cars are to be on the road in Germany. Some experts are rather skeptical about this. Nevertheless, the federal government’s reaffirmation is a sign that it is sticking to its belief in the goals it has set. Whether the regulation will actually achieve its desired effect remains to be seen.
