Charging Station Check 2024: Charging on the go more expensive than refueling

Each kilowatt hour of electricity charged at public charging stations costs e-mobilists an average of 55 cents at standard charging points (AC) and even 66 cents at fast charging points (DC). For a range of 100 kilometers (with a consumption of 20 kWh of electricity), this results in costs of 11.10 EUR or 13.11 EUR for a charge. Drivers of combustion engine cars only pay 10.38 EUR for the same distance (with a consumption of six liters of gasoline) - climate-damaging refueling is thus cheaper than charging on the go. This is according to the charging station check 2024 published today. For the analysis, Statista evaluated the tariffs of leading operators on behalf of LichtBlick.

"The prices at gas and charging stations create false incentives for drivers and thus promote climate-damaging behavior. The development is fatal. For the transport transition, a widespread switch from combustion engine to e-cars is essential, as are consumer-friendly prices at public charging stations," says Markus Adam, chief legal officer of LichtBlick, interpreting the results of this year's study.

Despite Falling Electricity Prices: Charging on the Go is Getting More Expensive

The average prices per kilowatt-hour of electricity charged have continued to rise compared to the last charging station check - the difference is 3 cents/kWh (AC) and 4 cents/kWh (DC). Meanwhile, the average price for household electricity has decreased during the same period. A similar trend cannot be observed for driving electricity on the go.

Furthermore, the access conditions at public charging stations make the transition to electric cars unattractive. E-mobilists, especially on long-distance trips, have to rely on various providers, each offering different access methods (charging card, app). The result is a confusion of different charging cards and apps that customers must have ready for the start process.

The so-called ad-hoc charging, which can be spontaneously initiated using a QR code on the charging stations, does not offer a satisfactory alternative - the prices are more expensive than for contract-based driving electricity tariffs, which e-car drivers agree directly with the providers.

Local Monopolists Determine Charging Conditions and Prices

A main reason for the increased prices at public normal charging stations is the formation of monopolies in the market. Local monopolists have been able to solidify their high market shares over the years. These monopolists are typically the respective local energy suppliers, who are either legally affiliated with the local grid operator or are themselves grid operators. Market shares of over 80 percent for normal charging points are the norm - at their peak, monopolists secure up to 93 percent of market shares in their respective regions.

In the current market model, electricity providers cannot offer their own electricity at the charging station. Rather, the charging point operator alone determines the charging electricity supplier - this is usually the affiliated sales department of the corporation. Hence, charging conditions and prices are effectively determined by local monopolists. Due to the lack of competition, these monopolists can impose non-market-based, excessive prices on their own customers.