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BEM convenes special committee on charging infrastructure

A recommendation paper from the BEM offers a cross-industry solution for the charging infrastructure.

The BEM criticizes, among other things, that fast charging is currently only being comprehensively addressed for passenger cars. However, it would be even more important for commercial vehicles. | Photo: G. Soller
The BEM criticizes, among other things, that fast charging is currently only being comprehensively addressed for passenger cars. However, it would be even more important for commercial vehicles. | Photo: G. Soller
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Gregor Soller

In the debate over the necessary technical equipment for charging stations for the nationwide rollout of electromobility in Germany, the Federal Association for eMobility (BEM) has convened a special commission. Over 80 participants accepted the invitation and discussed on Tuesday the various lines of conflict that arise at the interface between the mobility sector, infrastructure, software and hardware, and payment & credit industries. The charging station regulation adopted by the federal government is seen across industries as risky and impractical. 

Contradictions in public charging

Based on the common understanding to develop charging stations for consumers to be simple, barrier-free, and compliant with European standards while striving to meet environmental protection requirements from Karlsruhe swiftly, the roundtable proposed various exemptions. The current version of the charging station regulation stipulates, for example, that charging points at employers do not necessarily have to be public charging points, but those in retail and customer parking lots do—which constitutes a contradiction: They are all charging points on private grounds. To avoid unequal or unjustified interventions here, the charging points in retail and customer parking lots cannot be classified as public per se, but rather as private unless the retailer redefines them as public. 

For all public charging points, current government plans stipulate payments via credit and debit cards with a terminal and PIN entry. This requirement is associated with high technical demands that make the nationwide construction and expansion of charging infrastructure complicated, time-consuming, and costly. To simplify this process, normal charging points in particular could be exempt from the PIN pad requirement. This would mean that all cashless payment methods could be accepted and used at all charging stations. Such an exemption from the PIN procedure requires a review by the federal top financial authority, which has now been proposed. 

Fast charging is becoming increasingly important, especially for commercial vehicles

Regarding the also-discussed fast-charging law, the commission shared the view that the proposal is a car law that does not regulate other types of vehicles or address their issues in other norms. For instance, trucks, e-trailers, or disability-adapted vehicles will not be able to charge at public infrastructure under the current government plans, which does not meet the expectations of the law.

What does this mean?

By incorporating these suggestions from the special commission, the BEM sent its amendment proposals to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure on Wednesday. The current government has until September to put forth legislation that will be crucial for the success of electromobility regarding charging infrastructure.

Translated automatically from German.
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