Information for Points of Interest

In addition to upgrading cultural and leisure venues, more charging stations are being built in retail outlets. Over 80 percent of Germans currently use their car for shopping. The ramp-up of electromobility is therefore prompting retail companies to expand their service offerings and work with energy suppliers to offer charging options for their customers. Shopping time and charging time are thus efficiently combined. Since drivers of electric cars prefer locations with charging options, new customers can also be generated. Furthermore, visitors tend to make longer shopping stops during the loading process.

The type of charging infrastructure depends on the specific application. AC charging stations (normal charging) are cheaper to purchase, install, maintain and operate than DC charging stations (fast charging). With a 22-kW charging station, an electric vehicle can charge up to 60 kilometers of range within half an hour. These are therefore particularly suitable for customer groups that spend longer in the store. DC charging stations are significantly more expensive than AC charging stations, but they are also significantly faster. At a 50 kW fast charging point, it is possible to add about 200 kilometers of range in 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle type. This is therefore primarily suitable for customer groups with short shopping times.

Legal issues also arise in the selection of the operator model. The German Retail Association (Handelsverband Deutschland HDE) has therefore produced a guide to setting up a charging infrastructure. You can find it here.