Press Release
27.08.2025
Contact NOW GmbH:
Jessica Klahn
Manager Press and Publications
Phone: +49 173 796 96 37
E-Mail: jessica.klahn@now-gmbh.de
The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, which operates under the umbrella of NOW GmbH, has examined the utilisation of around 28,000 publicly accessible charging points in Germany that have received funding support. Data from 2018 to 2024 was taken into account for the analysis. It provides an overview of how the use of public charging points has developed over several years and what factors influence it.
From 2018 to 2022, the overall use of charging points rose steadily. Since then, it has declined slightly. On average, charging points are occupied for around 2.3 hours per day, which corresponds to a utilisation rate of just under ten percent. However, as the fact sheet shows, such average values are of limited significance, as they do not take into account key aspects of complex charging behaviour. Utilisation depends largely on the time of day, the location and, in some cases, the season. This means that even with low average utilisation, there can be significant peaks during the course of the day. A differentiated view is therefore necessary.
Most charging points are occupied at midday and the fewest at night. Charging points are used much more frequently in metropolitan areas than in less densely populated areas. In addition, unlike other types of areas, such as towns and rural areas, utilisation in metropolitan areas peaks again in the evening. In holiday regions, utilisation rises significantly during the holiday season and on public holidays, as would be expected.
Interpretation of the findings
Various factors hinder the arbitrary increase of utilisation – it has system-related limits. Reasons for this include spatial and temporal discrepancies between supply and demand, technical and tariff barriers, limited availability, or the installation of deliberately underutilised charging points to ensure coverage. Therefore, utilisation alone does not allow conclusions to be drawn about economic efficiency, user-friendliness or the actual satisfaction of demand.
Johannes Pallasch, Head and Spokesperson of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure: “Nowadays, anyone travelling in an electric car has little trouble finding a free charging station nearby. The publicly accessible charging infrastructure in Germany is well developed for the current electric car fleet, with just under 170,000 charging points, but these are used to varying degrees. It is therefore worth taking a closer look at the utilisation data. Our analysis helps to understand when and where charging points are used particularly heavily. The fact sheet is intended to provide a basis for discussion and at the same time highlight that only a differentiated analysis of utilisation can provide real insights for the further expansion of the charging infrastructure.”
The results are based on data from around 22 percent of all publicly accessible charging points in Germany. The analysis therefore provides a solid basis for discussions on further expansion or for in-depth studies.
The factsheet is available for download (in German) immediately here, free of charge.