Named Projekt SLAM, an acronym for Schnellladenetz für Achsen und Metropolen (Quick Chargers for Axes and Cities), is backed by BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen and will deploy the country's largest electric vehicle infrastructure with the Combined Charging System (CCS) connector.

This combines the Type 2 AC connector with a two-pin DC rapid charging plug, capable of charging vehicles to 80% capacity within half an hour. The BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-up! and e-Golf already feature a CCS connection.

Other partners include publishing house Deutsche Genossenschaftsverlag, utility company EnBW, the University of Stuttgart and Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH), who will work together to produce business models, choose suitable sites and research the usage of the network.

Brigitte Zypries, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said: ‘I would like to encourage all businesses, cities and municipalities that want to build charging infrastructure, to report within the project as an investor. You can directly and specifically benefit from the findings of the research project funded then.’

The project is the second collaborative DC rapid charger roll-out within the last month, following a partnership between Nissan and Omexom substations to install 50 units with the CHAdeMo DC rapid charge connection used on the LEAF.