Germany's BNM demands bold shift to electric mobility and renewables
The German New Mobility Association (BNM) is calling on the federal government to fundamentally rethink its policies and commit to a consistently electrified energy and mobility strategy. From the association's perspective, electricity is the key to economic prosperity, supply security, and independence.
"Electricity makes our country more independent—and it directly translates into tangible prosperity for people," says Thomas Mertens, the association's technical board member. "Those who embrace electric solutions free themselves from the price volatility of global commodity markets."
According to the BNM, the current energy crisis underscores how renewable energy and electromobility can create stability. Electric applications enable the direct use of domestically generated power and reduce long-term costs. At the same time, the association sees a pressing need for political action. For instance, the current design of Section 14a of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) risks imposing additional costs, even though many solutions could be software-based. "Households cannot be expected to bear extra hardware costs when more efficient digital alternatives exist," Mertens argues.
In the energy sector, the BNM demands an accelerated expansion of renewable energy and storage capacity. Privileges for private solar power and building storage systems should be preserved and expanded, while blanket caps on commercial solar installations and industrial storage must be abolished. Tenant electricity models should also be strengthened, and self-consumed power should receive better regulatory treatment. Additionally, the association calls for targeted support for community wind farms, the expansion of grid-forming large-scale storage, and a funding package to rapidly eliminate grid bottlenecks.
"The energy transition is not just about expansion—it's about the right regulation," says Anja Quast, the association's managing director. Building on this, the BNM sees urgent action needed in mobility policy. Subsidies for hybrid vehicles are inefficient and must end, with a clear focus instead on battery-electric drivetrains.
For public charging, the association demands cost parity with private charging. BNM's own initiatives demonstrate that charging infrastructure can be implemented far more affordably and transparently. "Public charging must become as simple and affordable as charging at home," Quast insists. The association also advocates for a legally enforceable right to charging infrastructure for tenants and employees, as well as targeted incentives for bidirectional charging to stabilize the power grid.
Furthermore, the BNM supports measures such as a permanent scrappage bonus for internal combustion vehicles and a procurement ban on combustion-engine vehicles in the public sector. "A consistently electrified energy and mobility strategy is a prosperity program," the association concludes. "It cuts costs, reduces dependence on oil and gas, and now requires decisive political action."
