Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing urges more haste in expanding the charging stations for electric cars. “If it is not possible to set up charging stations across the board in good time, there is a risk of difficulties,” warned the FDP politician in an interview with the German Press Agency in Mainz. “The municipalities that have a poor charging infrastructure will feel it,” said Wissing. “The automotive industry, which wants to sell the vehicles, also has to think about where the charging stations come from.”
“We need fast charging stations and areas for them. But that has to be solved on site,” emphasized Wissing. Every second municipality in Germany does not have a single charging station. “I can only recommend every mayor to take the issue very, very seriously. Mobility is an everyday need of people and that includes private transport.”
“In the case of electromobility, we are currently experiencing the beginning of an exponential ramp-up. That is why it is so important that we consistently push ahead with the expansion of the charging infrastructure,” said Wissing. “We need a different, climate-neutral form of mobility. We need to build the infrastructure for that now.” The charging stations should be easy to find and easily accessible for everyone. “Everyone must be able to call up digitally whether a charging station is available, defective or currently occupied.”
“We have to collect lots of ideas and think about how we can implement every single good idea as quickly as possible,” said Wissing. Most supermarket car parks, for example, do not have an operating license at night and therefore no access to the charging stations. “The fear of noise pollution for local residents is often an issue here.”
