The demand is great: the pot of the new solar power funding program for electric cars is exhausted within hours. Those who came away empty-handed can hope for the coming year.
The new funding program for charging electric cars with solar power was exhausted after less than 24 hours due to a rush of interested parties. Applications could no longer be submitted on Wednesday. The state development bank KfW announced that the 300 million euros granted by the Federal Ministry of Transport for this year have been exhausted due to high demand. In total, KfW approved around 33,000 applications. Anyone who didn’t get a chance this time can hope for next year.
A total of 500 million euros has been made available for funding. A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Transport said that up to 200 million euros would be available next year. The volume for this year was 300 million euros. The “first come, first serve” principle applied: applications were accepted as long as there was money in the pot.
The ministry spokesman explained that the funding program is an element of broader support for electromobility. Charging at your own home reduces the need for public charging points and relieves the burden on the power grid. At the same time, there is also funding for public charging networks and charging points.
Grant of up to 10,200 euros
The purchase and installation of a charging station for electric cars in combination with a photovoltaic system and a solar power storage system are supported. As part of the “Solar Power for Electric Cars” program, there is an investment grant of up to 10,200 euros – for owners of owner-occupied residential buildings who own an electric car or who have ordered an electric car at the time of the application. Applicants who have received approval now have two years to implement their plans. If all program criteria are met, the funding will be paid out.
The maximum amount can only be received by those who allow their vehicle’s battery to be discharged. The battery can thus serve as a small part of a reserve from which electricity can flow back into the network if necessary or can be used in your own home.
According to a KfW spokesman, not all grants that were applied for in similar programs in the past were paid out. “In some cases, applicants may have changed their minds. In some cases, the program criteria may not have been met.” Any money not paid out goes back to the ministry.
KfW customer portal temporarily overloaded
Applications for the program have been available online since Tuesday. The high demand temporarily caused the KfW customer portal to be overloaded. The development bank processed well over 20,000 applications within the first ten hours alone. From the opening of the program at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., more than 190,000 visitors were recorded. Almost 66,000 users have registered since then.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing spoke of an “overwhelming response”. The funding program obviously hits the nerve of the population. Charging at your own home reduces the need for public charging, relieves pressure on the power grid and enables citizens to save on energy costs.
However, the Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry (ZDK) sees a “crucial design flaw” in the program. Since applicants who already drive an electric car are also supported, the funding volume was immediately exhausted. “The federal government has missed an opportunity to bring additional electric vehicles into circulation,” criticized the association. In order to meaningfully advance electromobility and the expansion of photovoltaic capacities, the purchase of a new electric car would have to be a funding criterion.
According to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW), interest in solar power systems in homes had increased significantly even before the funding program was launched. The association said demand more than doubled in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.
Source: Stern
