Germany is building out an EV fast-charging infrastructure. Two months ago, the European Commission decided “Germany’s scheme to roll out a network of user-friendly infrastructure for charging electric vehicles across the country is in line with EU state aid rules.” The government will invest €300 million (nearly $320M US) and two-thirds of this is designated to accelerate the development of a fast charging network. The buildout started long before any announcement of Government funding. 292 units were installed last year. The first Fastned EV Fast Charging stations will soon be under construction.
Fastned CEO Michael Langezaal recently compared EVs to computers on wheels. Gas powered vehicles, on the other hand, have a single function: going forward. The EVs superiority is so obvious that once they have 4-6% of the market and an infrastructure is in place, they will take over. Today’s announcement that Fastned is partnering with Nissan is a wake-up call. The EV tipping point is almost here.
Though the Netherland’s EV sales are picking up, Fastned’s co- founder & CEO Michiel Langezaal does think they will reach the national goal of 200,000 electric cars on the road by 2020. According to Michiel this number includes not only fully electric cars, but also the Hybrids.There are still parts of the country that are beyond the reach of EVs with a 100 kilometers per charge range. Around 85% of the population do not have their own parking spaces. Yet Fastned’s co- founder & CEO Michiel Langezaal says the EV tipping point will arrive quickly.
