Construction of 17,700 charging points: Aral calls for a more robust power network for e-charging stations

Construction of 17,700 charging points
Aral calls for a more robust power grid for e-charging stations

January 15, 2024, 10:50 a.m

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While electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, the infrastructure required for charging is lacking. Germany’s largest gas station operator Aral is now complaining about the current conditions and the long bureaucratic processes that are slowing down the construction process for charging stations.

Problems with the power supply are slowing down the gas station operator Aral from expanding thousands of charging stations. “In some cases, the local network operators cannot provide the power that we need for our ultra-fast charging stations. We are experiencing this in every corner of the republic,” said Achim Bothe, CEO of Aral, to the “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung” (WAZ). “The infrastructure often doesn’t provide what we need.”

With around 2,400 locations, Aral is the largest gas station chain in Germany. According to the Bochum company, there are currently around 2,300 charging points at around 300 Aral stations. The company aims to have 20,000 charging points by 2030. Aral relies exclusively on so-called “ultra-fast charging”.

“For this we need transformers and reliable access to the power grid. There are often problems here,” explained Bothe to WAZ. “When it comes to transformers, it often takes more than a year from the application to the building permit.”