Paying at charging stations should become easier. The government is relying on the mandatory installation of a card reader.
The Federal Cabinet has decided to make card readers compulsory for charging stations. From July 2023, it should be possible to pay with an EC or credit card at all newly built public charging points. In addition, columns must have an interface to transmit location information and dynamic data such as occupancy status and operational readiness. With the corresponding amendment to the Charging Column Ordinance (LSV), the government wants to increase the user-friendliness of traction charging. The Federal Council still has to approve the regulation.
Criticism of the amendment comes from the energy supplier association BDEW, among others, which criticizes the card reader regulation as being too expensive and bureaucratic. As before, the automotive industry association VDA and the E-Technikverband ZWEI, the energy suppliers are in favor of sticking to the current payment method via app or charging card. According to the government's plans, both should continue to be possible as an option in the future, but a card reader is mandatory.
There are also further changes in the LSV amendment. In the future, normal charging points with permanently installed cables should be allowed; so far this has only been the case with fast chargers. In addition, the obligation to notify the Federal Network Agency for newly installed charging stations is regulated; in future, it will apply no later than two weeks after commissioning instead of at least four weeks before installation as was previously the case.
