No. After more than seven years, the privilege of parking vehicles with E-license plates in public spaces free of charge for up to the maximum parking time expired on September 1, 2024. The measure was intended for a limited period of time to facilitate the ramp-up of electric vehicles. This privilege was introduced in 2017 and extended again by the city council for two years in 2022. Since September 1, 2024, parked electric vehicles have once again required a parking ticket. However, electric vehicles charging at public charging stations are still exempt from parking fees.

You can apply for an electric vehicle license plate (E-license plate) at the vehicle registration authority (registration office). For more information, please visit the following link:

Driving an electric vehicle in a bus lane or pedestrian zone is not permitted in Mainz!

The Electric Mobility Act (EmoG) gives local authorities the option of opening bus lanes to electric vehicles. These are then marked with the additional sign "Electric vehicles permitted" (sign 1024-20). However, as in almost all other German cities, this regulation does not apply in Mainz. Bus lanes are intended to give priority to public transport and enable smooth operation with minimal time losses, especially during rush hour. The use of bus lanes by motorized individual transport means that the acceleration effect for public transport is lost and the actual purpose of the lane can no longer be fulfilled. It is also unclear how it can be monitored or effectively prevented that cars with conventional combustion engines also illegally use the bus lanes that have been opened up.

Don't want to buy your own car or just want to try out an electric vehicle? The two providers operating in Mainz, Urstrom Mobil and Book-n-drive, have electric vehicles in their car-sharing fleets.

Further information on car sharing can be found at:

Electric vehicles are indeed quieter than vehicles with conventional combustion engines, especially at low speeds. Some road users are particularly dependent on acoustic signals, such as children, cyclists, people with impaired vision, blind people, but also inattentive road users. If an approaching vehicle is noticed too late due to its quiet operation, this can lead to hazards and accidents.
To minimize this risk as much as possible, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) was developed for electric cars. At low speeds, AVAS simulates sounds that mimic those of a combustion engine vehicle, thereby drawing acoustic attention to the electric car. Since July 1, 2019, car manufacturers have been required to install AVAS in new types of hybrid electric and pure electric vehicles. By July 1, 2021, at the latest, all new hybrid electric and pure electric vehicles must have AVAS installed.

There are already a large number of public charging stations available in Mainz. However, please note that this charging infrastructure is primarily intended for spontaneous charging needs, visitors, etc., and cannot permanently replace a private charging point. If you are planning to purchase an electric car, you should consider in advance whether it is possible to use or, if necessary, set up a charging point at your home or workplace.

Answers to basic questions regarding charging at public charging stations operated by Mainzer Stadtwerke can be found on the Mainzer Energie website.

This depends on which electric vehicle charging provider you have a contract with. The price for ad hoc charging (charging without a contract via the web app or the eCharge+ app) can vary from charging station to charging station. You can find out the prices for individual charging points in the eCharge+ app or the web app.

The first point of contact is the hotline number listed on the charging station. If there is a technical defect with the charging station, it may also be helpful to report this to Mainz Public Utilities by email emob@mainzer-stadtwerke.de emobmainzer-stadtwerkede. It is important to include the locaemobmainzer-stadtwerkede. It is important to include the location, the charging point number, and the time of the charging attempt.

The two-hour maximum parking time at public charging stations is intended to give as many users as possible the opportunity to benefit from the existing infrastructure. This would not be the case if the parking spaces at the charging stations were occupied all day long, even though the charging process is already completed after one to two hours.

It is naturally very annoying when parking spaces at public charging stations are illegally blocked by vehicles with combustion engines. In such cases, you have the option of reporting the situation to the municipal traffic monitoring authorities so that they can take action.

The further expansion of the public charging infrastructure will be carried out in line with demand. To this end, the registration figures for electric vehicles and the utilization of existing charging stations will be reviewed on a regular basis.

If you have any questions about the expansion of the public charging infrastructure or specific location suggestions, please feel free to contact the City Planning Office using the contact details below.

Anyone who wants to purchase their own electric vehicle should think in advance about where it can be charged. Having your own charging point can be a sensible solution, allowing you to charge your vehicle conveniently at home, regardless of whether your employer or public charging infrastructure offers charging options.

There are a few points to consider when setting up a charging infrastructure. The capacity of the existing grid infrastructure varies greatly depending on the location. If you are interested in setting up a charging infrastructure on private property, you can submit a "grid/house connection request" to Mainzer Netze. In the course of this, a check will be carried out for the specific individual case to determine whether the existing grid has sufficient capacity for the project.

Further information on the relevant procedure can be found at:

In addition, the legal framework conditions are relevant when installing a charging point on private property. If the entire property affected by the planned charging point and the necessary supply lines is solely owned by the person who wishes to install the charging infrastructure, this is not a problem. However, if it is a rented apartment or if the affected area is owned by a homeowners' association, coordination is required. In any case, a legal assessment of each individual case should be carried out in advance.

The environmental bonus gives you the opportunity to receive a subsidy for a newly registered electric vehicle in accordance with Section 2 of the Electric Mobility Act. The subsidy must be applied for via the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). The current subsidy amount, the documents required for the application, and further information can be found at the following link.

Through the Mainz public utility company's electric mobility subsidy program, you have the opportunity to purchase:

- an electric bicycle (€100 subsidy),

- an electric cargo bike (€600 subsidy),

- or an electric scooter (€200 subsidy).

. The exact subsidy conditions and necessary applications can be found at the following link.

You can also benefit from Mainz Public Utilities' electric mobility subsidy program when purchasing a new private wall charging station (€400 subsidy) or electric charging station (€600 subsidy). The exact subsidy conditions and necessary applications can be found at the following link.

You can find out what other funding options are available for private charging stations with the help of the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency's funding compass. You can find this at the following link.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure provides subsidies to craft businesses, craft-like businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises for the purchase of road-based electric vehicles. The exact subsidy conditions and necessary applications can be found at the following link.