Charging infrastructure – the key to success

The success of electric mobility depends decisively on the availability of attractive EVs and of comprehensive charging infrastructure in both private and public settings. In future, EVs will mostly be charged where they stand for a long time: in private parking spaces, at home or at the workplace. At modest power levels — currently 11 to 22 kW — a large number of EVs can be charged cost-effectively and intelligently.

Beyond that, long-distance travel and additional service offerings require a dense network of fast-charging infrastructure. Fast charging is characterised by high DC charging power, allowing a vehicle's traction battery to be topped up quickly. At today's fast-charging points, with power of up to 400 kW, EVs can be recharged to a large extent in between 15 minutes and an hour.

In future there will be EVs, and matching charging infrastructure, that permit even higher charging power and therefore even faster charging. Because of the high investment required for the technology and the grid connection, prices for charging at fast-charging stations will always be higher than for normal charging at a home wallbox.

The German Federal Ministry for Transport currently supports the expansion of public fast-charging infrastructure along major traffic routes and in urban areas, to make electric mobility more attractive and more practical for everyday use. The associated funding programmes are, however, complicated, time-consuming and tied to conditions — so companies are also pressing ahead without state funding or support, developing and building charging parks of their own.

In the long run, prices at fast-charging parks will converge, so that alongside the right location it will be the overall concept of the charging park, the service on offer and the quality of the stay that decide its success.

We are building a fast-charging park for you too: the Aachen/Heerlen fast-charging park in the Avantis business park. The charging park will go into operation in Q4 2025, with the main opening celebration planned for Q1 2026. Come and visit us.

To bill and manage charging infrastructure we use aCharge Cloud, the portal we developed for exactly this purpose here in Aachen. Details and use cases are available at ladesmart.de.