Margret Dupslaff, BMW i Ventures. Foto: BMW i Ventures
Margret Dupslaff, Investment Associate, BMW i Ventures in a guest article in the current issue of eMove360° magazine in german language.
Electromobility and the expansion of a comprehensive charging infrastructure go hand in hand. The goal is clear, but there is still a long way to go: Despite various measures by the federal government, the efforts made so far are not enough to achieve the ambitious goal of 15 million electric cars on German roads by 2030. The federal government also wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector by 48 percent by 2030, which is also still a long way off. In order to achieve these goals, progress in electromobility and thus also the successful expansion of charging infrastructure are fundamental. In addition to suitable regulatory and technical measures, a needs-oriented, user-friendly and comprehensive charging infrastructure is crucial to ensure that electromobility is easy and practical in everyday life.
According to the Federal Network Agency, Germany currently has a total of 101,421 charging facilities and charging points (as of August 2023). This corresponds to an increase of 39 percent compared to the previous year – but the goal is still far from being reached: there should be one million public charging points by 2030. In this context, the question arises as to how the gap between supply and demand in the area of charging infrastructure can be resolved.
Start-ups in particular are predestined to quickly bring technological and innovative solutions to market. This is due, among other things, to the agile and flexible corporate structures. But in which areas of the charging ecosystem can start-ups start and exploit untapped potential?
How startups can make the charging ecosystem more efficient
On the one hand, start-ups can rely on solutions based on AI. This technology has the potential to manage charging smartly – i.e. to optimize the demand, planning and distribution of loads. Another exciting field is predictive maintenance based on data. Data helps charging station operators, for example, to minimize charging station downtimes and thus ensure operational reliability. In addition, it is important that the market offers flexible charging solutions. The reason for this is that there is currently a variety of hardware that is used in different regions. The future here lies in charging standards that cover the compatibility of all electric cars. Innovations are also needed in the area of utilization of public charging stations in order to avoid charging stations being occupied for longer than a charging process takes.
These are just a few examples of how start-ups can enrich the charging infrastructure market and thus make electromobility suitable for the masses. The key to success here is to remove obstacles for potential customers and thus remove concerns and fears.
