The Monopolies Commission welcomes the draft ‘Charging Infrastructure Master Plan 2030’ presented on 20 October 2025 by Federal Minister for Transport Patrick Schnieder. The plan incorporates numerous proposals put forward by the Monopolies Commission. It has the potential to create a sound foundation for the expansion of the charging market.
The introduction of a price transparency body and the statutory regulation of access to the municipal land required for the charging infrastructure are key instruments for the growth of the charging market. “They enable genuine competition between charging point operators and thereby ensure affordable charging prices,” emphasises Tomaso Duso, Chair of the Monopolies Commission.
In the Monopolies Commission’s view, access to parking spaces for electric vehicles whilst they are charging is currently the most important prerequisite for the emergence of a competitive market. Tomaso Duso comments: “We are observing in many local authorities that sites for charging points are being allocated preferentially to certain companies – often the local authority’s own utility companies. This makes market entry significantly more difficult for alternative charging point operators. Locally, this can lead to high market shares for individual providers and inflated charging prices. A key recommendation of the Monopolkommission is therefore the transparent, non-discriminatory tendering of municipal sites. A legal framework obliging local authorities to do so is urgently needed.”
The basic principle of competitive tendering should also apply to land and funding provided by the federal government. Duso commented: “It is to be welcomed that the federal government intends to make more of its own land available for charging infrastructure. However, the master plan still lacks a clear commitment to competition in this regard. The federal government should apply transparent, competitive procedures when allocating its own land and funding, thereby setting an example.”
The planned structure of the price transparency body for ad hoc charging prices implements key recommendations made by the Monopolies Commission in recent years. “A transparency body for ad hoc prices improves the comparability of charging prices and highlights competition between providers,” explains Tomaso Duso. In future, the reported price data can be used by third-party providers to offer consumers user-friendly comparison apps.
