European authority tenders for citywide public EV charging network
A northern German public body is seeking a partner to build and run a network of user-friendly, publicly accessible EV charging stations across the city.
A northern German public body is seeking a partner to build and run a network of user-friendly, publicly accessible EV charging stations across the city.
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Stadt Wilhelmshaven has set out plans for a multi-site network of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations, combining construction and operation in a single contract. Published on 8th December 2025, the notice puts user-friendly, high-quality service at the centre of the project and sits within a growing wave of municipal procurements that treat charging infrastructure as a long-term public service, not just a one-off works package.
The contract notice from Stadt Wilhelmshaven covers the construction and operation of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations at multiple locations across the city. Rather than procuring equipment alone, the authority is looking for a partner to both build and run the infrastructure, with a clear emphasis on a user-friendly and high-quality service.
Although the brief description does not specify numbers of charging points or exact sites, the reference to “multiple locations” suggests a networked approach that goes beyond a single car park or depot. Under the current contract notice, the chosen operator will be responsible for delivering the physical infrastructure and the day-to-day service that drivers experience.
In June 2025, Stadt Schwelm took a more contained approach, tendering for the construction and delivery of charging infrastructure at its Technical Operations site, with six normal and three fast charging stations. Wilhelmshaven’s citywide scope marks a different type of challenge: coordinating locations, capacity and operations so that a dispersed network feels consistent and reliable for users.
The focus on user-friendliness and service quality also reflects how expectations have shifted. Early public charging projects often concentrated on getting hardware into the ground. Now, authorities like Wilhelmshaven are signalling that performance during the operating phase – from reliability to how straightforward charging is for drivers – is just as important as the initial build.
Wilhelmshaven’s combined build-and-operate brief mirrors a broader move towards treating charging networks as ongoing services. In June 2025, Eurométropole de Strasbourg launched a framework for various charging services at on-street parking, underground or silo car parks and gas stations. The framework is divided into separate service lots, underlining that different locations and user groups may require tailored service models.
In July 2025, Mairie de Courchevel went further, tendering a contract for the design, installation, operation, maintenance and renewal of charging stations in specific parking areas. Candidates are allowed to propose additional deployments and technical specifications, making the operator a long-term partner in shaping how and where the network grows.
Similar thinking appears in the Walloon Region, where in October 2025 Agence Intercommunale de Développement de Tournai, d'Ath et des communes avoisinantes IDETA launched a concession for the installation, maintenance and operation of charging stations across several municipalities. Here, the operator must handle permits, provide real-time user information and ensure continuous service.
Across these projects, a few themes recur:
Wilhelmshaven’s emphasis on “user-friendly and high-quality service” fits squarely into this pattern. While the notice does not spell out the exact performance indicators, bidders can expect the authority to look for credible plans on network reliability, fault response and the overall driver experience, informed by how peers in other cities are framing similar contracts.
Many recent procurements pair public land and planning powers with private-sector delivery and operation. In August 2025, Helsinki sought proposals for a public AC/DC charging service on city-owned land. There, the supplier is responsible for the entire service from design to maintenance, while the city provides space and permits without financial involvement.
Concession language is also prominent elsewhere. In September 2025, the Flemish regional administration launched a public service concession covering supply, installation, maintenance and operation of publicly accessible charging infrastructure across several transport regions. In October 2025, Frederiksberg Municipality in Denmark sought operators for ten concession contracts to establish and operate charging stations, with detailed requirements on power output and design aesthetics.
Some authorities also expect operators to pay for the right to use public space. In November 2025, the municipality of Richterswil in Switzerland offered concessions for public charging stations in municipal car parks, with concessionaires required to install and operate the infrastructure and pay an annual location rent.
Wilhelmshaven’s notice does not label the procurement as a concession, but its scope – combining construction and operation of public charging infrastructure – places it close to these partnership models. The eventual contract structure will determine how responsibilities and income streams are shared, but the direction of travel is clear: cities are looking for long-term operators, not just equipment suppliers.
While Wilhelmshaven’s project focuses on publicly accessible stations, other recent procurements show how much supporting infrastructure now sits behind electric mobility. In July 2025, NEW mobil und aktiv Mönchengladbach tendered works to expand charging at its bus depot by constructing a medium-voltage ring and installing new energy centres and high-power chargers on the depot roof.
Also in July 2025, regiobus Potsdam Mittelmark GmbH sought electrical planning services for installing electric bus charging at its Stahnsdorf depot, covering transfer stations, transformers, low-voltage distribution, civil engineering and management systems. In November 2025, Stadt Detmold issued a planning tender for e-mobility charging at a construction yard, including electrical distribution networks, load management and a backend solution for data processing and billing.
Bus and fleet depots are a recurring focus. In November 2025, PaderSprinter GmbH launched a contract for the planning, delivery and installation of charging infrastructure at its site in Paderborn, including maintenance for electric buses. Earlier, in August 2025, the public transport operator in Děčín tendered for a new fast charging station and related infrastructure for electric buses.
Power upgrades and integration with other energy systems are also in scope. In October 2025, the Land Schleswig-Holstein, via its property management agency, tendered planning services to upgrade the power supply and expand charging infrastructure for electric vehicles at the Düsternbrook government campus, renewing ageing electrical systems and integrating photovoltaic installations.
Technical standards are becoming more specific too. In September 2025, the Technical University in Sofia sought the delivery and installation of fast charging stations with power outputs of 50–60 kW and 120 kW, underlining requirements for new equipment, operational functionality and compliance with safety standards.
All of this provides context for Wilhelmshaven’s apparently simple brief. A promise of user-friendly, high-quality public charging implies not just visible charge points, but also robust power connections, intelligent load management and reliable back-office systems – even if those components sit behind the scenes.
The Wilhelmshaven notice offers only a high-level description, so key details – such as the total number of charging points, their power levels and the precise locations – will emerge later in the process. Other cities provide clues about the choices ahead: Schwelm has balanced six normal and three fast chargers at a single site, while Wavre in Belgium plans to replace five existing stations and install 29 new ones under a service concession.
Service design will also be worth watching. In Suceava, a 28-station rollout explicitly aims to promote electric vehicle use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while IDETA in the Walloon Region ties user-friendliness to real-time information and continuous service. Frederiksberg’s concessions show that even the visual design of charge points can become part of the specification.
For Wilhelmshaven, the next milestones will be the publication of more detailed requirements and, eventually, the award of the contract. When that happens, the project will offer a clearer picture of how one German coastal city intends to turn the broad promise of user-friendly, high-quality public charging into a concrete, operational network.
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