The EU's "Fit for 55" package aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and introduces stricter CO2 standards in the transport sector. Since battery electric vehicles constitute the probably best option to meet these ambitious targets, yet the limited availability of charging infrastructure hampers their fast market diffusion, this study identifies trends and usage patterns based on real-world charging data from more than 7000 charging stations in Germany between 2022 and 2023. The analysis reveals peak usage times on Fridays and Saturdays and substantial seasonal variations indicating increased station utilization during winter. Differences among locations, from highways to customer parking lots, support the tailored location and capacity planning and comparisons with previous studies highlight technical progress and higher utilization. Thus, these novel findings contribute to developing a comprehensive and reliable charging network.
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