No, a bureaucrat in the German government is not in control of all of the charging sessions in the country. In this case, the “National Control Center” has one basic but consequential aim: “to ensure the swift and coordinated establishment of nationwide charging options in Germany.” Putting that into normal human language, the center is working on making charging technology and processes predictable, easy, and efficient.
“Charging must be as uncomplicated and natural as with a cell phone. We also lay down uniform rules for the activation of the charging point and the payment,” said Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Germany.
“The control center will be expanded in the coming months to ensure that it is fully operational. Core tasks of the control center are the calculation of needs; planning and coordinated development of a nationwide fast-charging network; coordination of federal and state activities; and support of the municipalities in the planning and implementation of the charging infrastructure,” according to Green Car Congress.
Ultra-fast charging is the top priority of the control center. “Our first goal is 1,000 quick charging locations,” Scheuer said. This is still a burgeoning field, and one of the main barriers to adoption is the feeling among many consumers that they need ultra-fast charging along any and all routes they might travel on for a long-distance trip. This is an initiative that acknowledges that barrier and is working to fill the gaps quickly in order to knock down the concerns and complaints of people not aware of how far an electric car can go, how much they typically drive, and how many benefits come with EV ownership.
“With TOOL, NOW GmbH has already developed a planning tool on behalf of the BMVI with which the Germany-wide charging infrastructure for cars and commercial vehicles can be planned by 2030 and the further need for expansion can be calculated. The TOOL application shows the future need for additional charging points and includes traffic flows, socio-economic data and existing infrastructures.”
Will this kind of focus and action help Germany to quickly rise from 7% plug-in market share to 50%? We’ll see.
All images by CleanTechnica and Tesla Shuttle
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