gridX Charging report 2021

Charging Report 2021

In our first report on public charging infrastructure in Germany we explore how EV charging has developed over recent years using data on 1,800+ charge point operators.

Executive summary

Is the infrastructure ready for e-mobility?

01

At the beginning of 2021, the authorities reported 34,056 public charging points. At the moment around 330,000 EVs are registered in Germany ~ 1 charging point per 9 EVs.

02

EV registrations are developing quite differently compared to the expansion of the charging infrastructure. The number of electric vehicles has more than doubled (+142%). Number of charging points increased only by 27%.

03

Just 8% of the charging locations are below their respective grid connection capacity, and at around a quarter of the locations the installed capacity already exceeds the grid connection’s capacity.

04

The largest operator, with 1,552 charging points registered with the Bundesnetzagentur, only accounts for 4.6% of the total market.

05

Energy providers, charge point operators and retailers dominate the market. They account 47 of the 50 largest operators.

06

Energy providers have a strong regional focus. On average, an energy provider has 92% of its charging points in a single federal state.

Number of EVs registered in Germany

EV registrations are skyrocketing

New registrations of electric vehicles (EVs) have increased by a factor of 8 over the past 3 years in Germany. While just 25,056 EVs were registered in all of 2017, in December 2020 alone the figure was as high as 43,671 - and 194,163 were registered in the entire year of 2020.

Operators with the most new charging points in the last 2 years

Ambitions differ significantly between operators

While innogy and EnBW have commissioned 776 and 761 new charging points, respectively, in the last two years, this figure is less than 50 for 16 of the 50 largest operators.

What drivers pay for

Most operators bill only the charging volume

About half of the charging stations charge per kWh (52%). Around one 6ᵗʰ charge for charging time. 1 in 8 charging stations charges for a combination of charging volume and duration. 1 in 10 charges a flat rate. And as many as 6% of charging stations give away the electricity for free.