Bundestag has passed the Fast Charging Act

The German Bundestag recently passed the so-called Fast Charging Act, the aim of which is to set up a network of fast charging infrastructure for battery electric vehicles.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) will announce tenders for at least eighteen regional and, if necessary, additional nationwide lots in order to ensure that there is enough charging infrastructure nationwide by 2023 to extend the range of electric vehicles.

The lots will bundle economically attractive locations (e.g. metropolitan areas) and less attractive locations and thus also promote the expansion of charging infrastructure in rural areas. Locations on federal motorways should also be taken into account, whereby the previous petrol station operators will receive initial access within the framework of the possibilities under procurement law.

Lots can contain both predetermined locations and so-called search areas, where the potential bidder can independently find a charging location. Overall, the federal government’s charging infrastructure master plan provides for 1 million publicly accessible charging points to be built by 2030, and the Fast Charging Act provides an important impetus for this.