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Aral petrol station: network operators do not play along

Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa

Problems with the power supply are slowing down the expansion of thousands of charging stations by the petrol station operator Aral. "In some cases, the local grid operators are unable to provide the power we need for our ultra-fast charging stations. We are experiencing this in all corners of the country," Achim Bothe, CEO of Aral, told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. The infrastructure often doesn't provide what we need."

With around 2400 locations, Aral is the largest petrol station chain in Germany. According to the Bochum-based company, there are currently around 2300 charging points at around 300 Aral stations. The company is aiming for 2030,20 charging points by 000, with Aral focusing exclusively on so-called "ultra-fast charging". To do this, we need transformers and reliable access to the power grid. This is where there are often problems," Bothe told WAZ. As far as transformers are concerned, it often takes more than a year from the application to the building permit."

mik/Reuters