Apartment blocks significantly undersupplied with charging infrastructure
USCALE Private & Public Charging Study
Apartment blocks significantly undersupplied with charging infrastructure
The development of charging infrastructure in Germany is making good progress, but the conversion for electric mobility is stuck in the apartment block segment. While users of electric vehicles are finding more and more charging facilities on motorways, at their employers or in customer car parks, there is hardly any growth in apartment buildings. This is significantly slowing down the ramp-up of electromobility, particularly in urban areas.
Stuttgart, 03.01.2025
In Germany, most electric vehicle owners charge their cars at home: Around 80% charge at home. 85% of them charge at a wallbox, 14% at a normal socket. Charging facilities on motorways and dual carriageways are in second place (63%). Employer car parks, customer car parks and normal public charging facilities come next, each attracting about 35% of EV drivers. Fast-charging hubs in city centre areas are only used by 22%.
Charging behaviour is not only based on actual needs, but also on the existing charging infrastructure. As the surveys on charging habits conducted by the Stuttgart-based market research company USCALE show, the need for nationwide infrastructure has continued to grow. Newcomers to electromobility in particular are increasingly concerned about not being able to find an available charging station when they need one. Providers are therefore called upon to further improve the availability and reliability of the public charging infrastructure.
When it comes to the expansion of charging facilities, apartment blocks are lagging well behind demand. While 90% of electric car drivers living in single-family homes can charge at home, this proportion has only risen from 53% to 55% for electric car drivers in apartment blocks in the last year. It is therefore not surprising that the proportion of electric car owners living in apartment blocks has not increased either.
The reason for the sluggish expansion in apartment blocks is the often complicated coordination between owners. “Especially in homeowners‘ associations, it is difficult for all owners to agree on a scalable solution for charging technology right from the start”, comments study director Dr Axel Sprenger on the situation. “There is virtually no solution that can be gradually expanded without generating costs for non-EV drivers at the beginning. There is no quick solution in sight”, says Sprenger.
The situation is much better when it comes to charging at work. Newcomers confirm increased charging options at the workplace. Charging at the employer’s premises is not only practical, but also financially attractive. 48% of employers with charging facilities cover the charging costs in full. In the case of private cars, 46% cover the charging costs. If employees have to pay for the electricity, the prices charged are often lower than those for their own home electricity and are therefore particularly advantageous.
Charging at retail locations continues to be very attractive. EV drivers, however, complain about high capacity utilisation and consequently low availability. It is therefore worthwhile for providers to invest in charging facilities at supermarkets, shopping centres and other retail locations.
Market observers generally consider the situation for providers of charging infrastructure to be challenging. Their situation is economically tense, as sales of electric cars are increasing more slowly than expected. This means that capacity utilisation is falling short of expectations. The battle for charging customers is therefore becoming tougher and requires greater efforts.
An interesting detail: around a quarter of people who buy an EV change their domestic electricity provider when they purchase the vehicle. The change of motor is therefore becoming a critical moment in customer retention for the major suppliers and municipal utilities.
For the study, USCALE surveyed 2,986 EV drivers in Germany between July and September 2024 in detail about their usage habits, their experiences and their preferences when charging at home, in public spaces, at retail outlets and at their employers and has now analysed the results.
The press handout with graphics can be found HERE.
You can find an overview of all course contents of the private charging study HERE.
You can find an overview of all course contents of the public charging study HERE.
You can find a picture of Axel Sprenger HERE.
Company Abstract
USCALE is a consulting and market research company for electromobility based in Stuttgart, Germany. USCALE’s work is based on customer insights studies on all touchpoints of the e-mobility customer journey. USCALE is the only provider to has a panel specialising in e-mobility with over 10,000 panellists. Through its surveys, USCALE makes the customer perspective tangible for managers, developers, and service providers in the operational business.
Contact
USCALE GmbH, Silberburgstrasse 112, 70176 Stuttgart, GERMANY, contact@uscale.digital