EV Charging Price Display in Germany: What the Draft Law With Fines up to €100,000 Means
📅 Published on October 18, 2026
Information as of 18 October 2026. In the sources we found, the draft law was last with a Bundestag committee; we could not find evidence that it has been passed. This article is not legal advice. It is based on Bundestag and trade sources listed at the end. The focus is on Germany.
Since 2024, the EU's AFIR regulation has required the price at a public charge point to be clearly visible before charging. Even so, tests and surveys keep showing that drivers cannot reliably see the final price in advance. One reason lies in German law: until now there has been no working fine provision for breaches of the AFIR price rules. A government draft law is meant to change that, with fines of up to 100,000 euros per violation.
This article explains what the draft (Bundestag document 21/5873) actually regulates, which obligations it penalises, what it does not regulate, where the procedure stands and what drivers can do today to avoid price surprises. For background on the ad-hoc obligations, see our article on AFIR card payment in 2027.
Starting point: obligations exist, enforcement had a gap
The AFIR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) has applied since 13 April 2024. Its Article 5 contains the price transparency rules for publicly accessible charge points. According to the law firm BBH's blog (18 June 2026), enforcement in Germany worked like this: the state price authorities could prosecute price display violations at public charge points as administrative offences under section 20 of the Price Indication Ordinance (PAngV). That provision fills a blanket norm in the Economic Offences Act (section 3(1) sentence 1 no. 2 WiStG), which covers only national law, not directly applicable EU law.
Since the AFIR applies, its primacy displaces the corresponding PAngV rules where they overlap. The result, per BBH: breaches of the AFIR price obligations had no working sanction mechanism, while breaches of the PAngV remained punishable. The draft itself states that PAngV rules for charge points are already inapplicable where they collide with the AFIR.
What the draft changes
The "Draft law amending price indication law" is dated 11 May 2026 (document 21/5873). According to electrive.net, the federal cabinet adopted it on 25 March 2026; according to the document, the Bundesrat raised no objections on 8 May 2026. In essence:
- New fine provision in the Price Indication Act: A new section 3 PAngG-E contains a blanket provision for PAngV violations in paragraph 1 and separate offences for three AFIR obligations in paragraph 2.
- Fine range: Under section 3(3) PAngG-E the fine is up to 100,000 euros. According to the document, the explanatory memorandum refers to the EU requirement for effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and to comparable offences in the Telecommunications Act.
- Enforcement: The state price authorities are to pursue violations, as the Bundestag page on the first reading describes.
The three penalised obligations
The document names three offences based on Article 5 AFIR, summarised here in our own words:
| Obligation (AFIR) | Who | Content according to document 21/5873 |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 5(4) subpara. 2 | Operators of charge points of 50 kW or more, installed from 13 April 2024 | Ad-hoc price per kWh and usage fees as prices per minute |
| Art. 5(4) subpara. 3 | Operators of charge points below 50 kW | Information on the ad-hoc price and all price components before charging, in the order set by the AFIR |
| Art. 5(5) sentence 2 | Mobility service providers (e.g. charging card providers) | Price information before charging starts, components clearly separated, including e-roaming costs |
For charge points below 50 kW, the German magazine auto motor und sport describes the order as: price per kWh first, then time-based fees, then flat fees last. The third row matters most for drivers with a card or tariff: they should be able to see the price components, including roaming surcharges, before starting, itemised separately.
What the draft does not regulate
Important for context: the draft creates no new substantive price obligations, only the sanction basis for existing EU obligations. The document also states explicitly that the PAngV is to be adapted in a separate project. Among other things, existing fast chargers (50 kW or more, installed before 13 April 2024) are to be regulated there, and billing by kilowatt-hour is to be retained. In effect, older fast chargers initially stay under national rules.
Note when reading other sources: some trade blogs describe the price display obligation more broadly, for example including older fast chargers. We follow the wording of the document, which ties the offences to the AFIR cut-off dates. If you need certainty, read the document directly (link below).
Procedure: where does the law stand?
According to the Bundestag page, the plenary debated the draft in first reading on 21 May 2026 (20 minutes) and referred it to committees; the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy leads. The document provides for entry into force on the first day of the quarter following promulgation and for no transition periods. A concrete date is therefore not fixed, because it depends on promulgation.
Whether the Bundestag has since passed the law in second and third reading, we could not verify in the sources found on 18 October 2026. A trade blog (LadeSofort, last updated 11 October 2026) still describes the draft as under parliamentary deliberation. Until promulgation, then: the AFIR obligations already apply, but the new fine provision is still a draft.
Why it matters to drivers
Price clarity is a real problem. In the ADAC fast-charging test at motorway sites, the final price was visible before charging at only 16 sites (44 percent), according to firmenauto.de; details are in our article on the ADAC motorway charging test. A recent Windkraft Journal report of 15 October 2026 also cites the TÜV Mobility Study 2026: 49 percent of surveyed EV owners find charging prices opaque, and 48 percent see the different payment systems as a challenge. That is a secondary source; we have not checked the study itself.
A fine of up to 100,000 euros does not change the fact that prices at the charger should already be correct today. It may make enforcement easier, though. How effective it becomes depends on oversight by the state authorities; there are no reliable statements on that yet.
A worked example: why the kWh price alone is not enough
The Windkraft Journal gives a simple example you can check yourself. You charge 20 kWh:
| Option | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 55 ct/kWh plus €2 start fee | 20 × €0.55 + €2.00 | €13.00 |
| 60 ct/kWh, no start fee | 20 × €0.60 | €12.00 |
The apparently cheaper 55-cent option is more expensive at this amount. That is exactly why the AFIR requires all price components (kWh price, per-minute price, flat fees) to be shown. With larger amounts the comparison flips again, as the start fee weighs less. How idle and time fees add to this is covered in the article on idle fees.
What you can do today
From the Windkraft Journal's notes (recommendations from the TÜV association) and the AFIR obligations, a short checklist follows:
- Check the price for this exact charge point, not just the station. Compare tariff price and ad-hoc price; they can differ at the same charge point.
- Read every component: start fee, time fee, idle fee and, with roaming, surcharges. Car park fees may come on top.
- Mind card payments: with a debit or credit card a higher amount may be temporarily reserved; this is neither a fee nor the final bill, and the release can take several days according to the Windkraft Journal.
- Plug & Charge: charging starts automatically and is billed through the tariff stored in the vehicle. If you want to pay differently, disable the automatic start first.
- Check the receipt: compare energy amount, duration and fees with the displayed price. If the amount differs, documentation helps (photo of the display, app screenshot).
More on choosing between ad-hoc, card and subscription is in Public EV charging tariffs in Germany and EV roaming cards explained.
And the Masterplan idea of central ad-hoc prices?
According to the Windkraft Journal, the Masterplan Ladeinfrastruktur 2030 plans to make ad-hoc prices available centrally; a charging infrastructure conference of the Federal Transport Ministry reportedly took place in early October 2026. How exactly this will be implemented is not known to us, and we found no primary source. We therefore treat it only as a sign that price data remains a political topic. A related data aspect, live status instead of price, is covered in our article on live status and occupancy.
Reported prices in Elunio
Legally required price displays and prices actually paid are two different things. That is why Elunio relies on driver reports: when reporting a price you can optionally enter the final price you actually paid including fees, and an idle fee in cents per minute. Where such reports exist, they are labelled as community data. They do not replace the operator's price display and are not legally binding information. Data is densest in Baden-Württemberg and the DACH region; elsewhere there are fewer reports, and Elunio cannot promise complete coverage. Why reported prices are often more informative than list prices is explained in Community prices vs. list prices.
Frequently asked questions
Does the price display obligation already apply?
Yes, the AFIR obligations have applied since 13 April 2024. Only the draft law is new; it is meant to create a fine provision in Germany.
How high can the fine be?
Under the draft up to 100,000 euros per violation (section 3(3) PAngG-E). As far as we could verify, the draft has not been promulgated yet.
Does it also cover AC charge points below 50 kW?
Yes, the draft also penalises price information before charging at charge points below 50 kW, in the order set by the AFIR.
Does it affect charging cards and apps?
Yes. Under the draft, mobility service providers must provide price information before charging starts, with clearly separated components including e-roaming costs.
Conclusion
The draft law closes an enforcement gap; it does not invent new price obligations. For drivers nothing changes at the charger in the short term; in the medium term price displays should become more reliable once authorities can fine violations. Until then it pays to check the total price for the specific charge point, include extra fees and document the price actually paid if it differs.
Sources: German Bundestag, document 21/5873 "Gesetzentwurf zur Änderung des Preisangabenrechts" (11 May 2026), dserver.bundestag.de/btd/21/058/2105873.pdf · German Bundestag, text archive "Vollzug europäischer Vorgaben zu Preisangaben bei Ladestrom" (first reading 21 May 2026), bundestag.de · BBH blog – "Preistransparenz an der Ladesäule: Der neue Gesetzentwurf zur Sanktionierung von Preisangabenverstößen (Teil 1)" (18 June 2026) · electrive.net – "AFIR-Vorgaben: Gesetzentwurf sieht hohe Strafen bei unvollständigen Preisinformationen vor" (26 March 2026) · auto motor und sport – "Gesetz zu Lade-Preis-Transparenz: Hohe Bußgelder für Ladesäulen-Betreiber" · Windkraft Journal – "E-Auto öffentlich laden: Mehr Klarheit über Anbieter und Preise" (15 Oct 2026; TÜV Mobility Study 2026 cited secondhand) · LadeSofort – "Preistransparenz Ladesäulen: 100.000 € Bußgeld geplant 2026" (last updated 11 Oct 2026) · firmenauto.de on the ADAC fast-charging test (26 Nov 2025)