E-cars on the rise: Central Germany scores with the best charging infrastructure!

E-cars on the rise: Central Germany scores with the best charging infrastructure!

At a time when the path to the future is being paved for electric cars, a lot is happening in Central Germany. Especially in Thuringia and Saxony, the region is a pioneer in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. According to a current evaluation by the MDR Thuringia takes an impressive second place nationwide with 11.7 vehicles per charging point. Saxony follows closely behind in third place with 12 vehicles per charging point, while Saxony-Anhalt comes in sixth with a ratio of 13 vehicles per charging point.

But it's not just the number of charging points that impresses. These federal states also lead the ranking of fast charging points. However, the challenges are great because... VDA, the association of the automotive industry, is calling for a decent pace of expansion, especially for the motorways. As of October 1, 2025, there were almost 180,000 public charging points available in Germany, including around 44,250 fast charging points. An increase of 16 percent compared to the previous year, and the charging capacity has also increased by an impressive 30 percent to over 7.3 million kilowatts.

Public charging infrastructure in focus

Despite these positive developments, there are also downsides. The VDA points out structural differences between the federal states, especially due to the lower number of electric cars in eastern German regions. In addition, almost 32 cars share one fast charging point in Thuringia, which is not particularly encouraging compared to the national average of 70.6 vehicles. The situation is similar in Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony: there are 37 and 45.4 cars per quick charging point.

The VDA also makes it clear that consumer trust in the charging infrastructure needs to be strengthened. According to the ADAC, over half of the rest areas and truck stops examined are considered poor or very poor. Only a quarter of these systems have sufficient capacity with at least ten charging points. In some systems, charging points were also defective, which didn't exactly improve the friendliness of electric vehicles.

Cities on the rise

Positive things from the city of Cologne: There has been an impressive increase in fast charging points here, with 215 new charging points recently reported. This development is not only important for the city itself, but also shows that progress is possible. Berlin and Hamburg follow with 205 and 178 newly installed charging points, which puts the republic's metropolitan regions further on track.

Overall, one thing remains clear: the path to electromobility has been paved, but a joint effort is required to continue to expand the charging network and eliminate weak points. Time is of the essence and manufacturers, the VDA and politicians are called upon to ensure that they do not lose touch with sustainable mobility.