In Germany, city councils and companies are deciding to give e-car drivers fewer benefits to cope with rising charging costs. In Norway, authorities instead believe that such benefits are no longer necessary - and focus on reducing overall car traffic.
To promote e-mobility, many cities had introduced free charging and parking for electric vehicles. However, the energy crisis and rising electricity prices, as well as the growing number of electric drivers who want to take advantage of such offers, have called for changes. E-car drivers will be able to benefit from fewer advantages, at least for the time being. Indeed, in Hamburg and in Baden-Württemberg, such as Stuttgart and Ettlingen, the authorities are planning to impose stricter rules.
With the clear goal of only allowing cars to fill up, the city of Hamburg is currently reviewing the parking regulations at e-pumps. Until now, e-car drivers were explicitly allowed to use the space in front of the charging points as a parking space as well. However, because the number of electric vehicles in the Hanseatic city is rising rapidly and consequently more and more electric cars have to use the charging points, the Senate wants to evict non-charging parkers. The decision, which was justified at the time with the promotion of e-mobility, can no longer be justified - according to the municipal administration. However, the question of how long an e-car may use the charging station and when the charging process is considered complete remains unresolved.
One option would be to set additional fees that would come into play when customers use the charging station longer than planned. In this way, the utilisation of the charging facilities could be brought back under control. At present, however, such surcharges are primarily determined by the electricity sales of the respective charging station. As the provider of the infrastructure, the city of Hamburg would also in principle have the option of introducing such an overcharge vis-à-vis the charging pole operators. To protect the customers, on whom the surcharge would possibly be passed on by the companies, the city does not want to impose the fee - and first wants to observe the situation developments.
In other cities, too, e-car drivers will no longer be spared when parking. On 31 December 2022, for example, free parking spaces for e-cars will be abolished in Stuttgart. For about ten years, such vehicles could be parked free of charge in the city. With this, the city wanted to support the demand for electric-powered and hybrid cars. Due to the tight parking situation in Stuttgart, changes are now necessary. As of next year, they will also have to be subject to Stuttgart's parking tariffs as normal, alongside internal combustion vehicles.
The city of Ettlingen is already intervening instead. Already on 1 September, free parking for e-cars was abolished. Because here, too, the benevolent rule was devised 7 years ago to support the market ramp-up of electric cars - which has lost its necessity under the current circumstances, and instead represents a profitability problem for the city. Only next to charging stations does free parking still apply. Accordingly, electric vehicle owners will not have to pay anything to park the car while charging.
E-cars often enjoy advantages not only on the streets of many German cities, but also in the car parks of shops and shops. At Lidl, for example, customers can charge their e-car free of charge. Since many take advantage of the attractive offer without actually entering the discounter, the company wants to take targeted measures. In future, the system will be revised so that the service will only be available to customers of the discount grocer. The charging process, which lasts a maximum of one hour, will be systematically regulated. Among other things, an automatic termination of the power supply after 15 kilowatt hours, as well as check-in via the Lidl e-charge app, are planned. Although this will make the system a little more cumbersome for customers, it should enable Lidl to solve the problem of charging points blocked by "charging scroungers" - without having to completely eliminate charging stations.
Of course, Germany is not the only country where electric cars are starting to lose advantages. In Norway, the public road administration has decided to abolish some benefits. The aim is to attract e-car drivers to public transport. Because, according to the Norwegian authorities, "an electric car is still a car that takes up space in traffic". The end of e-car benefits is therefore in line with the mobility vision of the participating cities of Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Nord-Jæren, they say. By eliminating electric car benefits, they are in fact aiming to reduce overall traffic.
This is not only about benefits for parking in public car parks - which will continue to be regulated locally and independently by the municipalities - but also about other benefits that will soon cease to apply. These include, for example, exemption from VAT on new purchases, reduced toll prices, and driving in the bus lane - if there are several people in the car. It has been possible under the current circumstances to reduce the benefits without significantly affecting the competitiveness of these cars, he said. "People would still choose an electric car". This is at least the consensus in Norway, where electric cars have consolidated well in the market over time.
However, the same cannot be said for other countries in Europe, where several countries still have relatively low levels of e-car ownership - which tends to be insufficient for full electrification of private passenger transport. Here, maintaining some benefits for those who choose an electric-powered vehicle might still be a good idea. It is mainly inadequacies in the necessary infrastructure, as well as the obvious increase in electricity prices and corresponding charging costs, that necessitate certain trade-offs in terms of e-car benefits from the perspective of cities and businesses.
Future e-car owners should also not forget the e-badge and the e-licence plate. There are extra costs for both, but they open up a range of advantages. Benefits that are now gradually disappearing. Is the purchase still worthwhile? Yes, because many benefits will continue to apply.