Tesla and Dutch electric vehicle charging company, Fastned, are taking on Tank & Rast, the German company that controls almost every gas station along the Autobahn, for the right to install their chargers.
Once upon a time, Germany controlled the rights to all of the gas stations and rest stops along its legendary series of highways. However, in 1998, the network was privatized and Tank & Rast continues to operate a near monopoly over them.
Now, Tesla and Fastned are suing for the right to install their own chargers at these locations, something Tank & Rast believes it should have exclusive control over. So far, the government has been inclined to agree with the established company, reports Germany’s Focus Online.
This fight dates back to 2021, when Germany introduced the Rapid Charging Act, which sought to introduce 1,000 150 kW charging locations across the country by 2023. Tank & Rast has participated in achieving that goal, but many have argued that the company has moved too slowly, and partnered only with a limited number of charging partners (EnBW, MER, Ionity, and Eon-Innogy).
Read: Germany To Spend $6 Billion To Fund 14-Fold Increase In EV Charging Points
Meanwhile, companies like Tesla and Fastned have argued that if they were allowed to install charging stations along the Autobahn, it would help the nation reach its infrastructure goal more quickly.
The companies scored an early win in 2021, when the government allowed them to install their charging stations at rest stops that were unmanned. However, they want to install their chargers where there are buildings and stores for their drivers to use while their batteries fill. That led them to argue that Tank & Rast only had exclusive rights to gas stations, and that chargers are a wholly different technology.
However, the Federal Ministry of Transport has said that the company’s contract should give it the opportunity to react to technical progress and the changing needs of drivers over time, frustrating Tesla and Fastned’s efforts to build their chargers.
Not every authority agrees with the transport ministry, though. The Monopoly Commission has criticized Tank & Rast’s control over the locations, saying it can lead to high prices and stifled competition.
Now, Tesla and Fastned are pleading their case in front of the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court. No decision is expected until the end of May, but the drivers’ access to charging stations, as well as Tesla and Fastned’s right to make money off those customers, hangs in the balance.
