Angela Merkel wants Germany to have ONE MILLION electric charging stations by 2030.
In a video message on Sunday, the German chancellor said investment in charging stations would encourage demand for electric cars and accelerate the shift away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
Germany currently has around 21,000 charging stations, while the UK has around 10,000, according to the latest Zap-Map figures.
“For this purpose, we want to create a million charging points by the year 2030 and the industry will have to participate in this effort, that is what we will be talking about,” Merkel said in her weekly podcast.
Today, the German Chancellor will hold meetings with senior industry executives, parts suppliers and labour unions on how to boost sales of all-electric vehicles.
Topics will include investment in the electric car charging network, manufacturers and the government sharing the cost of subsidies for the purchase of electric cars, plus investment in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
There are also concerns that Germany faces a surplus of car industry workers, as fewer employees are required to build electric cars.
“We want to take our specialist workers along on the road to a modern, climate-friendly future,” Merkel said.
A poor charging infrastructure, high purchase prices and limited range are three of the most common reasons cited for drivers not making the switch to electric cars.
Germany is at the forefront of a new generation of electric vehicles. Before this evening’s meeting, Angela Merkel will visit the Volkswagen factory in Zwickau to mark the start of production of the new ID.3 – the company’s first mass market all-electric vehicle.
Once complete, the plant in Zwickau will be Europe’s largest factory exclusively building electric cars, building 330,000 cars every year.
Stephen Weil, the prime minister for Lower Saxony, home of Volkswagen, wants to see 100,000 public charging points in place by 2021.
“An extremely demanding time lies ahead for the German automotive industry that must be accompanied actively by policymakers,” he said.