Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the federal motorway company Autobahn GmbH announced on 22 October 2026 that they will release more land at unmanaged motorway rest areas for car fast charging. Private investors will finance, build and run the chargers. The ministry expects investment in the hundreds of millions of euros, with a market consultation starting soon and the tender planned for spring 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Germany will open more unmanaged Autobahn rest areas to privately financed car fast charging.
- A market consultation comes first; the tender is planned for spring 2027.
- The plan complements Deutschlandnetz charging at 200 unmanaged rest areas.
- Bidders will need to meet quality and price-transparency expectations.
Key Points
- The sites are unmanaged rest areas (no fuel station or restaurant), where drivers can charge without leaving the motorway.
- Operators will decide the size and equipment of each site in a competitive tender.
- Minister Steffen Bilger said the process should be simple for investors while ensuring appropriate quality and transparent prices for drivers.
- The new sites add to Deutschlandnetz fast charging already planned at 200 unmanaged rest areas.
- The ministry notes that more than one in four new cars registered in Germany is now fully electric.
Background: Germany’s Wider Charging Programme
| Programme | Scope |
|---|---|
| Deutschlandnetz | 9,000 fast charging points at more than 1,000 sites, about €2.3 billion of federal funding |
| Multi-unit residential buildings | €500 million in the 2026 budget, including grid connection and building electrical upgrades |
| Truck fast-charging network | About 4,200 charging points at 350 rest areas for daytime and overnight charging |
| Truck charging funding guideline | Support for public sites such as truck stops and for private depot charging |
The difference with the new rest-area plan is the financing model. Deutschlandnetz sites are built and operated on behalf of the federal government. The new locations are meant to attract private capital directly, with the state providing the land and the tender framework.
What It Means
For charge point operators, this is a new route to motorway locations that are normally hard to secure. The main costs will be the grid connection and high-power DC hardware, and bidders are likely to be judged on reliability and clear pricing to meet the ministry’s quality and price-transparency aims. Hardware suppliers should expect tender documents to ask about availability, payment options and back-office connectivity.
Motorway hubs use high-power DC chargers, but the wider rollout also creates demand away from the motorway, at hotels, retail parks and depots near junctions. For those sites, a compact DC unit such as the EV-RHDC30K-L (about 20 to 30 kW, OCPP 1.6J) can be a practical option. Our commercial charging solutions page covers project planning.
Related Reading
- EV Charging News: Germany Passes 212,000 Public Charging Points
- How to Open an EV Charging Station: Step by Step
- How Do DC Fast Chargers Work?
