German energy company E.ON and Volkswagen subsidiary MAN Truck & Bus unveiled plans on Thursday to launch a pan-European electric truck charging network, aiming to bolster sustainable logistics amid Europe’s ambitious emission reduction goals.
“We are investing heavily to give the infrastructure for electric heavy goods transport a decisive boost and to set the course for sustainable logistics and green supply chains,” said E.ON’s chief executive, Leonhard Birnbaum, in a joint statement with MAN.
The initiative responds to Europe’s target of cutting emissions from heavy commercial vehicles by 90% by 2040 compared to 2019 levels. While electric passenger car adoption has been on the rise, the market for zero-emission electric trucks in Europe faces hurdles, chiefly the lack of adequate charging infrastructure.
MAN Truck & Bus head Alexander Vlaskamp expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “For the mobility transition to be successful, we need around 50,000 charging points for heavy commercial vehicles in Europe by 2030. As a manufacturer of electric trucks, we are of course making our contribution to this. I am delighted that E.ON is now a strong partner for the electrification of our service locations. We are thus laying another foundation stone for a public charging network. However, we still urgently need the support of policymakers to build this network on a large scale.”
According to the statement, the network will commence with the opening of its first site this year, with plans to establish approximately 80 sites by the end of 2025. Long-term objectives include setting up 170 locations, with 125 planned in Germany.
Initial sites will feature several 400-kilowatt charging stations, capable of recharging an average electric truck for up to 300 kilometers in about 45 minutes. Future phases aim to introduce infrastructure for even faster charging capabilities.
MAN Truck & Bus plans to launch a truck model later this year with a daily range of up to 800 kilometers.
Financial details regarding the project were not disclosed by either company. Additional sites are slated for development in Austria, Britain, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
