Rhineland-Palatinate: Charging stations in abundance, but where is the progress?

Rhineland-Palatinate: Charging stations in abundance, but where is the progress?

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the charging infrastructure for electric cars is on a stable course, but there are still some challenges to overcome. According to an analysis by SWR, the current figures show that on average there is a public charging point every 2,600 meters. This is encouraging, considering that standard electric cars have a range of around 450 kilometers. And German drivers cover an average of 256 kilometers per week - which means that they normally only have to go to the charging station once a week. Nevertheless, drivers face hurdles such as high costs and an often confusing charging point landscape, as SWR reports.

The need for charging points is clear because, according to the report from the National Charging Infrastructure Control Center, there is more charging current available than is actually needed. Despite the constant expansion of charging stations, which increased by 27 percent in 2024, in around 17 percent of the districts in Rhineland-Palatinate there are not enough charging options for the electric car fleet. The regions of Trier, Donnersbergkreis and Mainz are particularly affected.

The state of affairs

As of January 1, 2023, there were already 2,833 public charging points in Rhineland-Palatinate, 26 percent of which are classified as fast charging points (over 22 kW). This expansion, starting in 2018, represents a central pillar for the spread of electromobility Energy Atlas of Rhineland-Palatinate determines.

The charging infrastructure is also supported by the federal government's targets, which aim to have one million charging points in Germany by 2030. For Rhineland-Palatinate, this means around 50,000 charging points. However, expansion needs to be accelerated in both the public and private sectors. The need is particularly noticeable in rural areas, where the distances between charging stations are often over 3,400 meters.

The challenges

A look at the distribution shows that in cities like Mainz and Ludwigshafen a charging station can be found every 800 meters, while in less populated areas the range often exceeds three kilometers. Unfortunately, around 90 percent of communities have no fast charging station at all, and 70 percent do not have a public charging point. In the Vulkaneifel, Mayen-Koblenz and Bad Kreuznach districts, however, the charging infrastructure is particularly well developed.

The critical voice of the ADAC expresses concerns about the lack of transparency in the costs of charging stations. Electricity is rarely available for less than 50 cents per kWh, and users often complain about unclear billing. Simply one in five charging points is used to capacity above average, which is also due to the low number of new registrations of electric cars. Up to 71 percent of electric car drivers therefore usually charge at home.

The most important insight of the day is that charging infrastructure is the key to acceptance and widespread use of electric cars. A broad and reliable network of charging points can therefore be crucial to whether the traffic miracle of electromobility succeeds in Rhineland-Palatinate. The increasing number of charging points gives cause for optimism, but the challenges are also obvious. So how well does the balancing act between expansion and security of supply succeed? That remains the big question for the coming years.

With around 17 percent of new registrations in Germany, electromobility could soon become mainstream if it receives the necessary support. It will be exciting to see how the situation will develop in the next few years!