All petrol pumps in Germany to have EV chargers

• The mandate applies to the 14,118 petrol stations present across Germany
• This initiative is part of a larger €130 billion economic recovery plan that aims to increase EV demand
• German government body BDEW believes at least 70,000 regular chargers and 7,000 superchargers are required

The German government has mandated all the petrol pumps across the country (14,118, to be specific) to provide charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs), reports Reuters. This has been done to alleviate range anxiety and encourage citizens to adopt EVs.

This move is being made as part of a larger €130 billion (approx. Rs 11.07 lakh crore) economic recovery plan that aims to boost EV demand. The stimulus also includes plans to levy staggered taxes on owners of large SUVs with an internal combustion (IC) engine and offer a subsidy on buying an electric vehicle.

In 2019, EVs made up only 1.8 percent of new passenger car registrations in Germany. Diesel-powered cars accounted for 32 percent, while petrol-powered cars accounted for 59.2 percent. 

As the biggest deterrent to purchasing an EV is the charging infrastructure, Germany's association for the energy and water industry, BDEW, believes there need to be at least 70,000 charging stations and 7,000 fast chargers to increase mass-market appeal. Currently, BDEW claims there are only 27,730 charging stations across Germany.