In many towns and cities, electric cars are becoming increasingly popular. The automotive industry is constantly bringing new, affordable models with ever longer ranges onto the market. In countries like Germany, subsidies are making electric cars more attractive. The charging infrastructure is being expanded considerably – by municipal authorities, private investors and shopping centers alike. Many stakeholders are investing in the clean mobility market and many regions have already set up viable charging networks.
In 2020, almost 1.4 million new battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) were sold in Europe, which is an increase of 137 percent compared with 2019. This is even more impressive considering that the total automotive market shrank by 20 percent over the previous year. Europe has now overtaken China in terms of driving e-mobility forward, and Germany has become the leading market for battery electric vehicles within Europe. In Germany, the number of new fully electric cars in 2020 was higher than ever: Compared with 2019, the number of new registrations tripled to 194.200.
E-mobility only makes sense, however, if the batteries are charged using renewable sources of energy. That’s why in Germany, many people charge their cars at home. Private PV system owners are making a considerable contribution to driving forward the demand for e-mobility in the country. As one by one, photovoltaic installations begin to lose their eligibility for EEG feed-in tariffs, powering an electric vehicle using solar electricity produced at home will become an even more obvious choice.
Homeowners are not the only buyers of electric cars, though. Many companies are also switching over to electric vehicle fleets and installing their own photovoltaic systems, safe in the knowledge that combining e-mobility with photovoltaics is a worthwhile investment. Solar installations not only allow companies to charge their electric cars inexpensively, but also enable them to optimize their load profile and to avoid load peaks, thereby reducing costs. To support companies, the industry offers intelligent charge management and more and more bidirectional charging stations.
You can find out more about innovations and trends in this field at Power2Drive at Messe München from May 11–13, 2022. From boosters for high-speed charging stations to architecturally appealing carports and scalable charging infrastructure with intelligent controls, the exhibition will present the rapidly growing range of solutions for the future of our mobility.