Police urgently demand more charging points for electric vehicles in BW!

Police urgently demand more charging points for electric vehicles in BW!

The discussion about electromobility is becoming increasingly heated, and a central topic is charging options for electric cars. In Baden-Württemberg in particular, the police union is pushing for the expansion of the charging infrastructure before more electric vehicles are purchased. Thomas Mohr, the deputy regional head of the police union (GdP), emphasizes that electric vehicles in shift work do not work in everyday life without their own charging points. Many police stations have to use public charging stations, which leads to long waiting times. Mohr calls for a clear priority: first the infrastructure, then the introduction, because, as he says, “symbolic politics” doesn’t help.

At the same time, Ralf Kusterer, the state chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), supports this demand and emphasizes that fast charging points are necessary. He criticizes the current situation of charging at public charging stations, which often leads to problems. In this context, the Ministry of the Interior also plays a role: future vehicle purchases are expected to be based on the practical experience of officials and maintenance staff. Because not all vehicle models have proven themselves. Some tires have proven to be unsuitable and show severe wear after just 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers.

Charging points: An oversupply despite low utilization

According to an analysis by Automobilwoche and Elvah, there were 161,686 public charging points in Germany in February 2025, of which 125,408 were normal charging points and 36,278 fast charging points. However, the study suggests that many of these stations are unused or underutilized. On average, around ten electric cars share a public charging station, which underlines the problem. In fact, the data shows that around 25% of high-performance fast charging stations have a utilization rate of only 1-5% - a worrying situation for operators who have to bear high investment costs.

A look at the market situation makes it clear that demand for electric cars in 2024 will have fallen short of expectations. This is expected to result in a market shakeout in which users will concentrate on the few large providers who together control over 50% of fast charging processes. EnBW, for example, already has a market share of over 30% and is seen as a leader in fast charging.

Challenges for electromobility

The acceptance of electric cars depends on the charging infrastructure, and the federal government has set itself the goal of building a nationwide network of one million charging points by 2030. Two thirds of those surveyed said in a survey that an inadequate charging infrastructure was a reason not to buy an electric car. The availability of public charging stations is often perceived as inadequate. The majority of charging stations in Germany are standard charging points with low charging capacities, while fast charging stations are constantly increasing.

The situation in the federal states shows different developments: While Bavaria had the most public charging points in January 2024, Rhineland-Palatinate shone with the highest average charging performance. Interestingly, the analysis also shows that Saarland has the best numbers with around 109.6 vehicles per fast charging point, while Thuringia performs worst with 34.7 vehicles per fast charging point.

It remains to be seen how the charging processes and the different charging houses will develop. In order to increase acceptance and overcome the challenges in patrol service, a consistent expansion of the charging infrastructure is essential. The expectation is that flexible, demand-oriented pricing and the creation of new charging points will stimulate the market, while in the end everyone involved will benefit from robust electromobility.