FRANKFURT -- Germany's public network for electric vehicles expanded by 10,000 charging spots, an increase of nearly 60 percent, in the last year, the country's electricity lobby said on Monday.
The tally rose to 27,730 spots in May, up from 17,400 a year ago, the BDEW industry association said. Fast-charging spots made up a share of about 14 percent, it said.
The data comes on the heels of fresh investment to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in Germany, which has been slow to embrace the shift toward battery-powered cars.
"The coronavirus crisis is a great challenge for charging station operators. Therefore, it is even more relevant for them to receive government tailwind in the further build-out," BDEW managing director Kerstin Andreae said.
As part of the country's stimulus package unveiled last week, 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) have been earmarked specifically to build out electric charging spots and battery cell technology.
Around 280,000 electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids are currently registered in Germany. Existing public infrastructure can cater for 440,000 cars.
