Germany Network: Autobahn GmbH awards contract for 1,000 new fast chargers at rest areas

Every 10 minutes, a charging station for electric cars on highways – that is the long-term goal of the federal government. On the way to achieving this, the federally owned highway company has awarded contracts for around 1,000 new fast-charging points, as Autobahn GmbH announced on Friday in Berlin. These fast-charging points will be at 200 unattended rest areas. They are to be constructed by 2026. The contracts were awarded to the companies Fastned Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, E.ON Drive Infrastructure GmbH, the consortium Autostrom Nord, and TotalEnergies Marketing Deutschland GmbH. This second part of the Deutschlandnetz tender will lead to the construction of fast-charging infrastructure at a total of 200 unattended rest areas along German highways, announced the Dutch pioneer Fastned, which is allowed to develop 34 of the locations.At the same time, Fastned Country Manager Linda Boll sees potential for improvement in the tender plans.

“There are currently no plans to establish restaurants and shops at the rest areas or to upgrade the sanitary facilities, which would significantly increase the attractiveness of the locations. In our opinion, only a comprehensive and modern offering at the charging location can create real competition. We hope to enter discussions with Autobahn GmbH and the federal ministry to ultimately offer our customers the best possible charging experience," Boll explained.

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said in a statement that the charging network on highways will become significantly denser. "Our goal is for the next fast-charging location to be reachable within a few minutes nationwide." Michael Güntner, CEO of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, said that to cover long distances with an electric car, drivers need to be able to reliably charge.