First Fastned Charging Hub on German Motorway Network Officially Opens

A new fast charging hub for electric vehicles (EVs) has officially entered operation in the Rhineland branch region.

Located along the A40 motorway, the newly opened charging park is part of the nationwide charging infrastructure expansion spearheaded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport under the “Deutschlandnetz” initiative.

The site was developed by European fast-charging pioneer Fastned and features state-of-the-art 400 kilowatts charging stations.

Situated between Duisburg and the Dutch border in North Rhine-Westphalia, the new A40 site offers six charging points and is now open to the public.

Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder says: “Mobility must meet the needs of both people and the economy. That’s why we are committed to progress with responsibility: through the Deutschlandnetz, we are consistently investing in demand-oriented charging infrastructure across the country, laying the foundation for sustainable and innovative mobility throughout Germany.”

Michael Güntner, CEO of Autobahn GmbH, states: “Autobahn GmbH is pushing ahead with the development of charging infrastructure to make E-Mobility possible for everyone and on all routes.”

“With the opening of this new charging hub, we are continuing our efforts to establish a dense network of charging points along motorways. In total, we are installing 1,000 fast charging points at 200 locations,” he adds.

Linda Boll, Country Director of Fastned Germany, indicates: “With this new site at the Neufelder Heide rest area, we are bringing Fastned’s ultra-fast charging technology to German motorways for the first time – a moment we are very proud of.”

She continues: “Over the coming months, we look forward to delivering Fastned stations at 33 more locations as part of the Deutschlandnetz.”

In the long term, the aim is to establish 4,000 fast charging points along Germany’s motorways, with 34 of them to be built and operated by Fastned.

The network is designed so that a charging station will be accessible every ten minutes of driving on major routes.

Through the Deutschlandnetz, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) is creating 9,000 new fast charging points for electric vehicles.

Around 900 sites are planned in urban and rural areas, with 200 located directly at unmanaged motorway rest stops.

Private companies are building these sites on behalf of the BMDV. Once all sites are completed in 2026, drivers across Germany will be able to find the next fast charger quickly and with minimal detours.

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