🔌 ⚡HPC (fast charging) utilisation reaches 9.4% in 2025. And everyone is talking about more charging parks for passenger cars. While quietly, the real solution is emerging somewhere else.
🔎 According to the elvah Report, that’s the current peak in Germany, trending upward, but measured against the CAPEX of charging infrastructure, far from economically viable. The answer from most: more locations, better apps, cheaper tariffs. But what if we’re optimising the wrong segment?
🚗 Private car drivers are volatile when it comes to charging. Predictable through (AI) modelling, but truly plannable only during holiday seasons. They constantly compare prices, switch providers like socks and are overwhelmed by a dozen apps. Those who can, charge at home anyway. As long as the market isn’t saturated with EVs, this won’t be a stable business model for HPC charging parks.
🚚 Commercial transport is the opposite. Routes for heavy transport, fleets and field service are almost always plannable, which means high and regular utilisation. Already today, company cars are one of the most important sources of utilisation for passenger car HPC charging parks.
⚓ Downtime is expensive, especially when it disrupts driving and rest periods. Reliability and availability matter more than the cheapest price, but the price must be consistent across providers. The charge card is as important here as the fuel card used to be. That’s not just the anchor HPC needs for return on investment. It’s also the infrastructure commercial transport needs to electrify. They need each other.
🤝 This isn’t just happening through new truck charging parks. ASTAG Schweizerischer Nutzfahrzeugverband is building an association-internal peer-to-peer charging network. Those with infrastructure share it with other members. Those without can still drive electric. Among peers, which delivers trust by default. A smart way to promote electrified heavy transport among each other.
💰And private car drivers? They can fill unused capacity when the reservation schedule of the commercial charging park allows it, possibly at a lower rate. Private drivers are the add-on, not the primary business model. That’s how HPC infrastructure becomes viable faster.
And who says this thinking couldn’t inspire operators of private charging parks to rethink their own business model?
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image by Netze BW GmbH on Unsplash
