Daimler Truck is expanding its TruckCharge initiative to offer company-owned charging facilities for public use, a move aimed at closing gaps in Europe’s electric truck charging infrastructure. The company expects the initiative to create the continent’s largest semi-public charging network for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
“With our TruckCharge concept for semi-public charging, we are aiming to close a large gap in the charging infrastructure for trucks,” said Martin Hink, Head of eMobility / H2 Business Solutions at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. He noted that Daimler Truck’s extensive network of “more than 1,000 dealers in Europe alone” positions the company well to implement the project.
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Daimler Truck is also encouraging customers to make their own charging facilities available to third-party operators, providing financial support to help fund charging infrastructure at depots. The company aims to expand access to charging points and support fleet electrification.
In addition to infrastructure development, TruckCharge will offer services such as charge planning, reservation, and payment. Customers will be able to use the Mercedes ServiceCard for payments, which currently provides access to the UTA Edenred charging network in 28 European countries. The service is already available in Germany, Austria, and France, with plans for expansion into additional markets.
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“Fleet operators, who use the charging options, benefit from a cost advantage compared to public charging facilities, a larger network is available to them, and they can reserve charging stations in advance,” Daimler Truck stated in a press release.
The TruckCharge initiative will complement Milence, a charging network established in 2022 by Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and Traton. Milence aims to install at least 1,700 high-performance charging points across Europe by 2027.
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Daimler Truck launched its TruckCharge subsidiary in June 2024 to consolidate its electric vehicle infrastructure services, including consulting, hardware, and digital solutions. The initiative is part of the company’s broader strategy to improve the total cost of ownership for electric trucks.