Charging infrastructure in Bonn Charging e-cars in Bonn is more expensive than average
Bonn · The e-charging points of Bonn's public utility company are significantly more expensive than the national average. The company does not pass on subsidies. Why is that?
"Experience. Experience. Electrify" is how the Bonn public utility company (SWB) advertises its electromobility solutions on the walls of the market garage. Marc Mauer finds the local utility's offers less than electrifying. As the manager of several jewellery shops in Bonn, the man from Bochum had to spend a long time circling around the market garage during visits until he discovered the four charging spaces on the lowest level. "Not only are the charging stations hidden deep down, but logging in with my charging card, which has worked perfectly at all charging stations so far, did not work there," he reports angrily. A registration via the QR code on the wallbox failed due to the lack of a mobile phone signal. When Mauer last entered his data in the marketplace, the charging station was not recognised by the app.
"In general, the charging infrastructure in Bonn is more than capable of being expanded," Mauer says. In the Friedensplatz garage, which many out-of-towners use, there is no charging facility at all. In the new multi-storey car park at the station, the charging capacity is far too low. "You would have to add a visit to a restaurant and a cinema to get a full charge," says Mauer. SWB's prices are also much higher than those in Bochum. After the city's economic development officer Victoria Appelbe was unable to bring about any improvement, Mauer turned to the GA.
What is the GHG quota?
Oil company money for charging stations and e-cars
The greenhouse gas quota, or GHG quota for short, is a climate protection tool designed to reduce CO2 emissions. It was introduced in 2015 to ensure that more renewable energies are used in transport. The mineral oil companies are obliged to reduce their emissions by a certain percentage every year. Otherwise they face penalties. Alternatively, companies can participate in certificate trading and buy GHG quotas. Since 2022, these have been paid out for electric vehicles or the operation of charging stations. The original intention was to motivate petrol stations in particular to build charging stations. According to the ADAC, owners of purely electrically powered vehicles can receive between 250 and 350 euros per year upon presentation of their vehicle registration. Commercial intermediaries take over the processing.
Who sets the prices?
In fact, Stadtwerke Bochum currently charges 50 cents per kilowatt hour for normal and fast charging without a basic fee and start-up flat rate. This is two cents below the average of 52 cents that charging station users in Germany have to pay. This was calculated by the statistics service provider Statista on behalf of the electricity provider Lichtblick in its charging station check 2023. SWB customers, on the other hand, are charged 62 cents for normal charging and 69 cents for fast charging. In addition, there is a start-up fee of 59 cents for app users and 99 cents for direct payers. "Our price is within the normal market range," emphasises Clarissa Pütz from the SWB press office.
SWB cannot explain the higher prices. The press office's reference to the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis also applies to the Ruhr region. The reference that the colleagues in Bochum have not adjusted their prices since 2021 does not help either. The fact that energy prices have been falling for a long time is of little use to Bonn customers, as with household electricity, because SWB has concluded long-term supply contracts, says Pütz.
254 SWB charging points
SWB currently operates 254 charging points in Bonn. On average, 15 to 20 per cent of these are used to capacity, Pütz reports. The plan is to increase this to 650 charging points by the end of 2025, in parallel with the rising number of new electric vehicle registrations. For the municipal utilities, the expansion promises excellent business. After all, it is not only a new business field, while the sale of natural gas will decrease in the coming years. SWB also receives a GHG quota from the petroleum industry for each charging station (see info box). As the asset manager Flossbach von Storch AG reports on its homepage, this is currently 15 to 20 cents per kilowatt hour. SWB did not disclose the amount of the added value on request. The money will be used to expand the infrastructure.
In addition, the municipal utilities have been benefiting from the government's electricity price brake since March. This also applies to public charging stations. However, the federal law does not stipulate that this be passed on to customers. "The customer group of charging station users was not taken into account by the legislator in the price brake law," says Pütz. This puts SWB in line with almost all providers. Only one has announced so far that it will pass on the price brake. "This is absurd: instead of relieving the burden on e-car drivers, the electricity price brake subsidises charging point operators," criticises Lichtblick spokesman Ralph Kampwirth. He believes: If the GHG quota and price brake were included, prices could drop to 23 cents. In Bonn, the municipal utilities, which slipped into the red as a whole group in 2022, argue that without the additional revenue, they would have had to raise prices even more. A discount for electricity customers, as offered by other providers such as EnBW at their charging stations, is also not planned.
At least Pütz hints at a compromise on one point. Although the charging app is considered intuitive to use, the municipal utility would also issue charging cards to private customers in the future. This should make it easier for older drivers in particular to switch to e-mobility. And in the future, Marc Mauer will be able to pay in the market garage with the QR code via smartphone. A good wifi network is available for this purpose. This is also clearly indicated, explains Pütz.
Original text: Martin Wein / Translation: Mareike Graepel
