Discover electric car charging in Berlin. Find charging stations, payment options, and city regulations for hassle-free charging.
Berlin has been dubbed the “capital of charging stations” by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and is among the most electric-car-friendly cities in Germany.
This comes as the country is investing heavily in expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging network, spending €6.3 billion ($6.17 billion) by 2026 as it expects more and more drivers to switch to electric mobility.
Electric vehicles already make up almost 10 percent of the cars on the road in Berlin, and this number is predicted to increase to over 30 percent by 2030.
Berlin currently has 2,475 publicly-accessible charging stations, 1,485 of which are in public parking spaces. The latter was taken over by the Berliner Stadtwerke from multiple operators in the interest of creating an easily-accessible unified charging network.
The city is planning to build another 1,800 public EV charging points to be managed by Berliner Stadtwerke by 2030, on top of any publicly-accessible EV charging stations built by private organizations.
Public EV chargers are spread evenly around the city, with Berlin-Mitte and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf having the highest concentration. Reinickendorf has the fewest public EV charging stations, followed by Treptow-Köpenick, Spandau, and Lichtenberg.
Nearly all public EV charging stations in Berlin operated by Berlin Stadtwerke are regular Level 2 AC charging stations, with a power output between 3.7 and 22 kilowatts (kW). The only exception is two DC charging stations
with a 50 kW power output at Spandauer Damm and Donaustraße.
In general, no, you can’t charge your electric car for free in Berlin. However, certain shops, hotels, or restaurants might offer complimentary EV charging to customers in exchange for purchasing from or staying with them.
Public EV charging is not free, and tariffs depend on the charging network operator, also called mobility service provider (MSP).
EV charging costs in Berlin depend on the network and type of charger you’re using, as well as the power output. Berliner Stadtwerke, the city’s main public EV charger operator, charges customers a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh), with a time-based penalty fee for taking up a charger past 4 hours.
Level 2 AC charging costs €0.55 per kWh (gross), while the “Blocking fee” for using a public EV charger for more than 4 hours is €0.02 per minute, up to a maximum of €20.
How much does it cost to fast charge my electric car in Berlin?
Similarly, fast charging costs in Berlin depend on the charge point operator and can vary based on the power output. Berliner Stadtwerke charges €0.65 per kWh at DC fast charging stations and a “Blocking fee” of €0.02 per minute for using an EV charger for more than 4 hours.
There are two ways to pay for electric car charging in Berlin. The most flexible option is paying ad-hoc by credit card or PayPal using the QR code on the charging station. This requires payment in advance and can often end up being more expensive per kWh than charging using a contract.
The other option is to use a charging card, fob, or app linked to an account or membership at a compatible EV charging network. This can often unlock cheaper charging rates but may require a monthly or yearly subscription.
EV charging in Berlin is subject to any applicable parking regulations, including any parking fees due. Note that EV charging parking spaces can only be used by electric cars while charging and must be vacated as soon as charging is complete.
It is not currently possible to request a public EV charging station near your home in Berlin. New charging station locations are determined by the city’s Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection, and the Environment based on a range of criteria, including the grid capacity, proximity to other charging stations, and future development plans.
Some third-party charging station operators have different policies for installing new EV charging stations, so it can be worth reaching out and enquiring about the possibility of a new charging station near your home.
