STRALI develops planning tool for local authorities
Pinpointing where EV charging points are really needed
- von Jennifer Meina
- 30.07.2026
Whether in residential neighbourhoods, shopping streets or business parks, people expect to be able to charge their electric vehicles wherever they travel. But where should new charging points be installed? Researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen, together with the SME partners IT-Objects GmbH and Schotte Automotive GmbH & Co. KG, developed a planning tool within the STRALI project to support municipalities in making strategic decisions on charging infrastructure.The tool has now been presented following three years of research and development. The project received around €2.6 million in funding from the Federal Ministry for Transport through the mFUND innovation initiative.
How can EV charging infrastructure be planned so that residents, businesses and local authorities all benefit? How can strategically located charging points encourage changes in travel behaviour, better connect different modes of transport and support the transition to electric mobility – for example in business and industrial areas?
To answer these questions, the interdisciplinary research team at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) first analysed travel behaviour in the Essen districts of Frohnhausen and Altendorf. The findings were then incorporated into a detailed transport model, which was validated against real-world traffic and land-use data.
“EV charging infrastructure cannot be planned on the basis of traffic volumes alone,” says Professor Ellen Enkel, who led the project. “Only by combining data on travel behaviour, transport and charging infrastructure, and socio-economic factors can we identify where new charging points will have the greatest impact.”
The results were incorporated into the newly developed EV charging infrastructure planning tool, led by IT-Objects GmbH and supported by a traffic flow simulation developed by Schotte Automotive GmbH & Co. KG together with the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. The tool enables local authorities to simulate different rollout scenarios and compare them directly. It assesses a range of factors, including projected energy demand, accessibility and the expected utilisation of potential sites. It also shows how new charging points would affect traffic flow while taking into account both local planning objectives and the interests of charging infrastructure operators. This allows local authorities to make transparent, evidence-based decisions about which locations are likely to deliver the greatest benefit..
Following the completion of the project, the planning tool will be deployed in additional local authorities. The research team plans to further develop the application and support the planning process through to the implementation of new EV charging infrastructure.
*STRALI stands for Strategic Planning of EV Charging Infrastructure for the Electrification of Urban Transport. The research project is being carried out by an interdisciplinary team from several chairs at the University of Duisburg-Essen in cooperation with the companies Schotte Automotive and IT-Objects, as well as the City of Essen.
About the Federal Ministry for Transport's mFUND programme:
Through its mFUND innovation initiative, the Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV) supports data-driven research and development projects for the digital and connected mobility of the future. In addition to funding, the programme promotes active collaboration between stakeholders from government, industry, public administration and academia, and provides access to open data via the Mobilithek platform. Further information is available at www.mFUND.de and www.daten.plus.