According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, it was also possible to reach the target of one million electric vehicles (54% purely electric / 46% plug-in hybrids) on German roads, which had been planned for 2020. Now, the German Transport Minister, Andreas Scheuer (CSU), states that the figure should increase to 14 million by 2030.
Private and Public Charging:
To keep pace with electric vehicle homologations, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) states that the country needs more than one million freely accessible charging points by that date. This is also indicated in the "Climate Protection Program 2030" and the "Charging Infrastructure Master Plan." Over the same period, the consulting firm PwC expects a demand of "more than 700,000 charging points in public spaces." This is despite the fact that a large proportion of charging will take place at home (60-70%) and at work (15-25%). However, a current list from the Federal Network Agency shows that, as of August 1st, only 40,000 slow charging points and 6,750 fast charging points are operational.
To address this situation quickly, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is allocating an additional €500 million until the end of 2025 through the revamped "Public Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles in Germany" support program. Subsidies are available for standard charging points with a charging capacity of up to 22 kW and for fast-charging points with a capacity exceeding 22 kW, where only direct current (DC) charging is possible. This funding should result in at least 50,000 charging points (of which at least 20,000 will be fast-charging) by the end of 2025.
To address, at least in part, the issue of private charging, the German government has allocated an additional €300 million for the financing of wallboxes. Applications can be submitted under the following conditions: The charging station must be powered by 100% green electricity, have a capacity of 11 kW, and be controllable to prevent overloading the local power grid.
Solid-state batteries offer hope.
However, a comprehensive charging infrastructure alone will not be enough to address the limited ranges currently available. High-performance batteries with longer lifespans are at least as important. In Germany, they are also a key focus. Automakers and investors regularly announce new battery cell factories. According to the European association Transport & Environment (T&E), there are plans for 38 battery factories across Europe, representing an investment of around €40 billion.
Almost all of them are based on established lithium-ion technology. But there is hope for the future in the form of solid-state batteries like those being developed by Daimler, Volkswagen, and Toyota. Compared to current technologies, they promise double the range in the same size. The first vehicles, including test vehicles from Toyota and Volkswagen, are already on the way. However, it will be some time before this new type of battery reaches the road on a large scale. The analysis firm Yole Developmentpement expects the technology to reach the market in 2025 and achieve a global output of 2.36 GWh in 2027. That's enough for almost 50,000 electric cars with a 50 kWh battery.
Greater range with silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)
