Analysis: Germans charge not after work hours, but mainly in the mornings
Charging software specialist Monta has made public a home charging analysis based on the evaluation of 1.5 million anonymized charging sessions in Germany. It shows that the feared peak load on the power grid in the evening does not occur. Instead, the main charging period shifts to the early morning hours.
The concern that an increasing number of electric vehicles will overload Germany’s power grid in the evening hours dominates energy policy debates and has driven regulatory measures such as §14a of the Energy Economics Act (EnWG). However, a new data analysis by Monta presents a fundamentally different picture. The review of over 1.5 million anonymized charging sessions between January and July 2026 at more than 250,000 charging stations managed by Monta shows that the peak load on the power grid expected in the evenings simply does not occur. Instead, it appears that Germans charge more often in the early morning hours—though this analysis is not representative.
The data analysis based on Monta’s charging infrastructure operating system “debunks fears of an ‘evening blackout’ and demonstrates the stabilization potential of intelligent charging infrastructure,” say the company’s analysts. Only 12.4 percent of all charging sessions analyzed fall within the critical evening period between 6 and 8 p.m. The actual peak load occurs in the morning, according to Monta. 21 percent of all charging sessions start between 6 and 8 a.m., when vehicles connect to the grid overnight or early in the morning before commencing their workday.
"The debate around §14a EnWG is all too often driven by a deficit mindset that focuses solely on restricting consumers," says Max Scherer, COO at Monta. "Our data from over 1.5 million actual charging sessions in Germany show that reality is the opposite of what the public assumes: electric vehicle owners charge mainly in the mornings, during times of low grid load. The grid doesn’t really have this problem at all—and intelligent software can ensure it stays that way in the future."
Where intelligent load management is already in use, Monta notes another benefit as well: “Charging sessions with smart charging enabled consume an average of 16.2 kWh—compared to 23.1 kWh with uncontrolled charging. This represents a reduction in energy consumption per charging session of around 30 percent.” Additionally, lower energy use over a shorter period directly relieves local power grid connections and the respective utility providers.
Monta still speaks of great potential, as intelligent load management is only actively used in a small portion of charging operations in Germany. “Every electric car is a battery on wheels – a potential building block for the energy transition,” emphasizes Scherer. The prerequisite for optimal use is an intelligent infrastructure layer that operates in the background. The company founded in Denmark in 2020 offers such a system itself and claims to currently manage around 310,000 charging points in 32 countries. The Monta solution is hardware-independent and compatible with several hundred chargers.
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