A major contract conflict between charging network operators and electric mobility service providers has caused widespread disruptions across Germany’s public charging infrastructure.
Many EV drivers have recently faced “technical error” messages at charging stations in cities such as Munich, Cologne, and Frankfurt — but the problem, according to industry insiders, is not technical at all. I
t stems from a commercial power price dispute between the Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) network and several municipal utility operators.
The timing could not be worse: the standoff comes just days before the national Auto Summit in Berlin, where car manufacturers and the federal government are expected to discuss the stagnant demand for electric vehicles and the slow rollout of charging points.
Price Dispute Between Operators and Automakers
According to multiple industry confirmations, the standoff involves Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) — a service provider founded by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, Kia, and Subaru — and Smartlab, a company managing contracts between DCS and more than 270 municipal utilities that together operate about 27,000 public charging points in Germany.
At the end of August, Smartlab reportedly demanded a significant price increase for the electricity supplied through its partner networks. DCS refused, calling the proposed hike “unacceptable.” Negotiations are ongoing, but no agreement has yet been reached.
“We are confronted with a price demand that we cannot accept,” a DCS spokesperson confirmed. The company insists that any new pricing model must be “transparent and fair to customers.”
Smartlab, headquartered in Aachen, was acquired in early 2025 by DKV Mobility, Germany’s largest fuel and mobility card provider.
DKV maintains that its pricing policies “reflect current market standards and ensure fair conditions for all parties.”
Tens of Thousands of Chargers Unavailable
Industry observers estimate that around ten percent of Germany’s charging infrastructure has been affected by the dispute.
Drivers using DCS-based services — including Mercedes me Charge, BMW Charging, Volvo Charge, Kia Charge, and Subaru Charging — are currently unable to activate many municipal charging points connected to the Smartlab system.
DCS customers can usually charge at nearly one million points worldwide, across 30 countries, via a unified app and card system.
The current contractual freeze, however, has temporarily blocked access to roughly 27,000 charging points in Germany — primarily in networks operated by local utilities (Stadtwerke).
Industry Concerns Ahead of Berlin Auto Summit
The situation highlights an ironic contradiction in Germany’s electric mobility strategy.
Car manufacturers have been urging the government to accelerate the expansion of the charging network, yet their own affiliated charging platform is now embroiled in a dispute that leaves thousands of chargers offline.
The timing, just before Thursday’s Auto Summit at the Chancellery, has added political tension. The meeting will focus on how to revive the flagging EV market, which has been struggling since government subsidies for electric cars were cut at the end of 2023.
Analysts say the incident underscores the fragmented nature of Germany’s charging infrastructure, where multiple operators, billing systems, and regional utilities must cooperate — often under separate pricing schemes.
“Without unified contracts and stable electricity pricing, the entire EV ecosystem becomes vulnerable to disruption,” warned one energy market expert.
