Parking chaos in Würzburg: E-cars fight for free hours!

Parking chaos in Würzburg: E-cars fight for free hours!

Parking in cities is becoming more and more of a challenge, especially for electric vehicles. With the new regulation, which came into force in Bavaria on April 1, 2025, electric cars with an E license plate are allowed to park for free in public parking spaces for up to three hours. This initiative aims to make electric cars more attractive in city centers and at the same time reduce vehicle noise and improve air quality. Manageable, but effective – that’s how you could summarize the concept. The regulation is limited until the end of 2026 and applies to all purely battery-powered cars, hydrogen-powered vehicles and plug-in hybrids that meet the relevant conditions, such as an electric range of at least 40 km or less than 50 g of CO₂ emissions per kilometer, such as stmi.bayern reports.

But what if you're not in Bavaria, but rather in the Ostalbkreis? Here the situation looks completely different. During a trip to Würzburg, a reader of the magazine discovered that parking for electric vehicles in the region is usually only free while charging. In fact, despite the E license plate on his rental car, the author had to pay a fine of 20 euros because he had forgotten his parking ticket. An unfortunate situation that shows how different regulations exist in the federal states. In December 2024, a similar measure was discussed in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport, but in January 2025 it was decided that the decision on such incentives would be left to the municipalities schwaebische-post.

Free parking for electric vehicles in Bavaria

Free parking in Bavaria brings with it a number of important aspects: When using the regulation, drivers must ensure that they place the parking disc correctly behind the windshield or, if available, get a free ticket from converted parking machines. This prevents you from being asked to pay unexpectedly. However, the newly introduced regulation in Würzburg also has its critics, as there are concerns about financing and a possible increase in parking search traffic.

However, the regulation is not without challenges. Particularly in cities like Würzburg, where similar regulations have been in place since 2016, the question arises as to how all drivers can be treated equally. In cities like Schweinfurt, where electric vehicles have long been allowed to park for free, there have been no significant reductions in fees, which speaks for the other side. Time will tell whether the experiences of recent years can also be helpful with the new regulations in Bavaria.

The exceptions and looking forward

It is important to note that the free parking regulation only applies to public parking lots. Private parking spaces, such as those with barriers or in parking garages, are excluded from this regulation. Supermarket parking spaces generally do not count as public parking spaces either. E-car drivers should be prepared to consider these differences when making parking decisions.

The aim of the Bavarian regulation remains clear: by promoting e-vehicles we not only want to increase the attractiveness of these vehicles, but also make an active contribution to the environment. We can only hope that similar progress will be made in other federal states such as Baden-Württemberg to further increase the acceptance of electric vehicles and thus pave the way to a climate-friendly future.