A new proposal from Germany's government would require large petrol station operators to also offer more high-speed chargers for electric vehicles.
The draft, put forward by the Cabinet on Wednesday, would require companies with at least 200 petrol stations to offer at least one 150 kilowatt charger at every petrol station from the beginning of 2028.
The rule is expected to affect around a dozen companies and result in around 8,000 new fast chargers, according the Transport Ministry. Petrol stations would be given credit for existing electric chargers already installed.
Germany currently has around 115,000 publicly accessible charging points as of April, with just under 22,000 of those capable of high-speed charging.
The German government's goal is to have 15 million electric cars registered in Germany by 2030. There were only around 1.4 million such vehicles at the start of the year, according to figures from Germany's Motor Transport Authority.
The current three-party coalition has stressed the need for a nationwide user-friendly charging infrastructure to make electric vehicles more attractive.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that gaps still need to be closed in the charging network. Hebestreit said that petrol stations would be a convenient and familiar way to offer that service.
The draft proposal would provide exemptions and waivers for some petrol stations based on local conditions and other reasons.
Germany's ADAC motorist club said the move would be a major intervention in the market but seemed justified, noting that petrol stations are often conveniently located.
But the proposal met with sharp criticism from petrol station operators.
Achim Bothe, the chief executive of Aral, the country's largest petrol retailer, said that the obligation would lead to bad investments and inefficient charger placements that don't respond to driver demands.
The company operates about 2,400 of the country's 14,000 petrol stations.
"There will be charging points at many Aral petrol stations and other locations, but not every petrol station needs a charging point," he said.
Christian Küchen, managing director of en2x fuel industry trade association, said that the petrol station companies are building charging stations where it makes the most sense for e-car drivers, "not only at petrol stations, but also at supermarkets, on the roadside, at home and at work."
Küchen dismissed compulsory charging points at petrol stations as "purely symbolic politics."
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities, meanwhile, urged the government to ensure that residents of rural areas and small towns also have access to electric vehicle chargers.
"It is not enough if fast-charging points are only built on the main transport routes and in urban centres," said André Berghegger, the group's managing director.
