Germany opens more autobahn rest areas to private fast-charging parks, tenders from spring 2027

On October 22, 2026, Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) announced that it and Autobahn GmbH des Bundes will release more space at unstaffed autobahn rest areas for car fast chargers built by private investors. The sites come on top of the Deutschlandnetz fast-charging parks at 200 unstaffed rest areas. Autobahn GmbH will start a market consultation on the key points shortly, and the tender is planned to begin in spring 2027.

The award is competitive, and the private operators decide the scope and equipment of each site themselves. The ministry expects investment in the hundreds of millions of euros. It has not said how many sites or charge points are involved. Minister Steffen Bilger said the extra chargers save EV drivers "time and detours".

What it means

At these sites the operator picks the hardware. Chargers chosen for these tenders will run for years, and the back office behind them may change more than once in that time. Chargers that speak open OCPP keep that choice with the operator. Plugchoice's OCPP proxy is built for it: the charger connects once, and a back office can be added or switched off without a site visit.

Sources: BMV press release 097/2026, October 22, 2026, ecomento, October 23, 2026, elektroauto-news, October 24, 2026.