Hamburg is testing space-saving loading curbs for electric cars in Wandsbek!

Hamburg is testing space-saving loading curbs for electric cars in Wandsbek!

There is exciting news for electric car drivers in Hamburg! So-called charging curbs will soon be tested in the Wandsbek and Altona districts. These innovative systems offer a welcome alternative to traditional charging stations, which often take up a lot of space and reduce parking space. The idea comes from the Wandsbeker traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP, which wants to get the test operation rolling. In this way, the charging curbs could contribute to the intelligent integration of charging infrastructure in the long term, as Birgit Wolff from the FDP and Justin Orbán from the Greens emphasize. NDR reports that it is easy to use: you simply park next to the curb, scan your debit card and charge your vehicle.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, loading curbs have been operating successfully for over a year. Now Hamburg wants to follow suit. Those responsible in Wandsbek are currently in the middle of searching for suitable locations for the tests. The Altona district has even planned a pilot project with four loading curbs in two places. The economic authority has already given the approval in principle for this project, even if they warn of potentially higher costs compared to classic charging stations.

E-mobility construction site

Germany is in an exciting phase when it comes to electromobility. The Federal Ministry of Economics emphasizes that the aim is to build 15 million electric cars and one million publicly accessible charging points by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, the Charging Infrastructure II Master Plan was launched, which includes measures for a comprehensive and user-friendly charging infrastructure. The federal authorities are also committed to further expanding the fast-charging infrastructure across the German network, which should include over 9,000 fast-charging points. [Federal Ministry of Economics](https://www.bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de/Redaktion/DE/artikel/Industrie/ framingconditions-and-anreize-fuer-elektrofahrzeugen.html)

A problem that keeps coming up in the discussion about e-charging stations is the space required. In various municipalities there has already been increasing criticism of the bulky charging stations, which often damage parking spaces. Against this background, charging curbs are a promising approach. Cologne has already successfully tested it as a test balloon, which gives the people of Hamburg hope that the introduction could also be well received in this country.

Hamburg on the way to e-mobility

With the introduction of charging curbs, Hamburg also wants to further consolidate its position as a pioneer in electromobility. The current figures show: Last year the number of charging stations in Germany rose by 21 percent, and the Hanseatic city is above average. The pressure caused by the high number of registrations of electric cars means that the Hamburg coalition is working hard on solutions. By the way, in 2024, half as many electric cars were registered as in the previous two years - a circumstance that clearly signals that the city needs to create even more incentives.

Hamburg is continuing to upgrade and is not only planning charging curbs, but also a reserved lane on Rodigallee for buses, electric cars and carpools. This reveals the path to a more sustainable future that benefits both the environment and meets the needs of drivers. It will be exciting to see what successes the tests will bring in the coming months.