Big obstacle: Tariff structure at public charging stations for electric cars

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The tariff structure at public charging points has been a source of annoyance for some time: low electricity prices are often tied to a contract with a monthly basic fee and to the use of the respective operator's sites. This makes the big players even bigger because they increase their own capacity utilization. As a result, the risk of oligopoly formation, i.e. market dominance by a few companies, increases. An extreme spread in electricity prices also repels the benevolent who actually want to buy an electric car. Legislators in Brussels and Berlin are not taking action. Politicians are largely leaving the market to its own devices.

The best-known example is Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or EnBW for short. EnBW manages over 1000 locations throughout Germany. A particular focus is on charging parks with fast DC charging points. The kilowatt hour costs 39 cents – but only in the "Tariff L" with a monthly fee of 17.99 euros. With other operators, EnBW charges up to 89 cents per kilowatt hour, even for leisurely charging with alternating current. Anyone booking tariff L will logically try to charge exclusively at EnBW locations.

Reversal of roaming

This principle is exemplary and means nothing less than the reversal of the idea of roaming. Roaming originally meant that with a contract, it was possible to connect electricity at a large number of locations of any operator throughout Europe. This works almost everywhere. However, if customers are forced to charge at a specific operator instead of a third-party provider due to the high costs – currently peaking at 1.21 euros per kWh –, roaming is still dysfunctional.

Fear of scaring off investors

The legislator could actually take action at this point. heise Autos asked the European Competition Commission(Directorate-General for Competition or DG COMP). After the election in summer 2024, this European ministry was reorganized. The DG COMP's response is generic. It says that it is monitoring "possible anti-competitive practices" and "abusive behavior in all economic sectors". The national and European authorities would "cooperate closely" and "keep each other informed".

Other Brussels circles also report that the problem has been recognized and is by no means unique to Germany. However, the fear of scaring off companies investing in the development of charging infrastructure is greater than that of electric car owners. After all, the European Union has created a framework through the AFIR(Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation) that could indirectly bring about an improvement. The keywords: mandatory payment terminals and price transparency. For example, payment terminals must be installed at newly built DC locations to enable direct payment with a credit card or smartphone. In the medium term, the existing stock must be retrofitted in many locations.

Mandatory payment terminals

Payment terminals could lead to falling prices for precisely the option that is currently at a disadvantage: ad hoc payment, i.e. payment without a contract and therefore without a monthly basic fee. Aldi Süd is already doing this. The discounter is smart enough not to rent out its own parking spaces to external operators for management. Instead, Aldi Süd is the operator itself, and the kilowatt hour of electricity is just one more item on the bill alongside milk and fruit. The middlemen are eliminated, and the Group passes on part of this profit to the customers. On the AC side, 29 cents per kWh are due, with DC up to 50 kW charging capacity it is 44 and over 50 kW 47 cents per kWh.

Booting out intermediate earners

This system was implemented at Aldi Süd by the company Wallbe. The makers of Wallbe, in turn, have since founded ev-pay. ev-pay is about to have its new direct payment system certified by the PTB in Braunschweig as compliant with calibration law. A number of industry players from all over Europe are in dialog with ev-pay. The advantage of direct billing is obvious for many operators: DIY stores and supermarkets have often realized that they can attract customers from filling stations and earn additional money –, provided they manage the charging infrastructure themselves and offer direct payment without registration and intermediaries.

The next step for the better: Price boards like those at petrol stations could provide price transparency. Such projects have rarely been implemented to date. One practical example can be found on the A2 highway at the Peine exit on the "Rausch Schokolade" site. Tesla has set up a display board at the entrance to the charging park. For the EnBW columns installed on the same site, however, the guesswork begins again.

Price transparency thanks to Ladefuchs

The Ladefuchs community app is one of the solutions. There is no other low-threshold and simple application that provides price transparency at every location. The user selects the local operator and receives an overview of the prices from the various providers. In this way, end users also quickly notice if they have an expensive contract. Ladefuchs is practically no less than the government-initiated Clever Tanken application, which has been transferred to electricity and creates price transparency for diesel fuel and premium gasoline. However, Malik Aziz from Ladefuchs clarifies it that the app was created on a voluntary basis by the community of electric car drivers: "We finance the operation through donations and the merchandising store," says Aziz.

For private customers, low prices and transparency are more important than for those entitled to a company car, who simply receive a charging card. The fleet managers in the background are increasingly concerned about not being ripped off. The state largely leaves the charging infrastructure market to its devices. At least regulations such as the AFIR can contribute to progress. The hullabaloo is reminiscent of the early days of mobile telephony, and one thing is certain: it won't stay as it is.

(mack)