Charging station utilization in Germany is rising significantly

Image: Mercedes-Benz

The use of electric vehicle charging stations in Germany is showing a significant increase this year compared to 2025. Operators report higher utilization rates, which is attributed to rising new car registrations of electric vehicles as well as high fuel prices.

The Swedish company Vattenfall reported that the amount of electricity charged at its charging stations has increased by about two-thirds since the beginning of the year compared to the entire previous year. Germany’s fourth-largest operator, EWE, saw an increase in the average utilization rate of its charging points by 30 percent compared to last year.

The market leaders EnBW and E.On also confirmed higher usage, but did not release specific figures regarding capacity utilization. Aral, part of the British conglomerate BP and Germany’s fifth-largest operator, attributed the increase to rising new registrations of electric vehicles as well.

At the beginning of August, the Federal Network Agency estimated there were 118,062 charging stations in Germany, representing a 16 percent increase within a year. The total charging capacity of all these stations amounted to 9.2 million kilowatts, a 26 percent rise compared to the previous year. Over 28,000 of these stations are operated by the five largest operators: EnBW, E.On, Tesla, EWE, and BP.

According to the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW), infrastructure development has so far preceded increases in new vehicle registrations. In 2025, on average, only twelve percent of public charging stations were occupied at the same time.

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About the author

Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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