Germany’s tender to build a fast-charging network for trucks along motorways could face delays or reduced participation due to a government-mandated “pass-through” model, industry sources said.
The tender, organised by NOW GmbH, requires operators at publicly funded truck charging parks to allow third-party electricity providers to supply power at their own chargers. The measure is intended to increase competition but may reduce the commercial appeal for charging point operators (CPOs), according to several participants.
“Some charging network operators are threatening to withdraw entirely from the bidding process,” Knut Hechtfischer, CEO of Berlin-based pass-through service provider Decarbon1ze, told Handelsblatt. “The state does not have to mandate it. The pass-through model is an additional feature at a CPO’s location that increases utilisation. And that is exactly what would make operators participate.”
The first tender phase, involving around 130 unmanned rest areas, begins this month, with eventual plans to expand to 350 sites with approximately 4,200 chargers by 2030. Managed rest areas operated by Tank & Rast are excluded from this initial round, with a later tender planned to cover 220 additional sites.
The pass-through approach, sometimes called “bring your own power,” allows truck drivers to use their own electricity contracts instead of paying directly for energy at the charging point. CPOs receive a fixed infrastructure fee rather than selling electricity directly. Supporters argue the model could lower charging prices by 10 to 20 percent, while opponents fear it could undermine traditional business models at both truck and passenger car chargers.
Johannes Pallasch of Germany’s National Charging Infrastructure Coordination Office has endorsed the model. “From the federal government’s perspective, conditions that ensure strong and fair competition are important. Truck drivers should be able to charge at the station with self-negotiated electricity contracts as an alternative to the previous practice,” he said.
The tender has already faced scrutiny from industry associations. Inspire, which represents CPOs including Ionity, Fastned, EWE Go and EnBW, filed a complaint with the European Commission in spring, arguing that the federal truck charging plan could distort competition and harm the e-mobility market.