The European Commission plans to prioritise charging infrastructure for electric trucks and buses in future funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), as policymakers and industry representatives discuss how to accelerate heavy-duty transport electrification at Connecting Europe Days in Brussels. The event is taking place from September 28 to October 1 and includes discussions on investment and financing for transport infrastructure.
Commission Targets Heavy-Duty Charging Investment
Eric von Breska, Director for Investment, Innovation and Sustainable Transport at the European Commission, said CEF and AFIF support would be prioritised for charging infrastructure serving electric trucks and buses. As DVZ reports, von Breska also highlighted the financing challenges facing such projects, with banks remaining cautious about investments in charging infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles.
The Commission plans to work with industry to better mitigate investment risks. Its Connecting Europe Days programme includes discussions on using CEF and AFIF funding in the EU’s upcoming 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, including support for charging deployments along the TEN-T network.
The EU has already supported charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles through AFIF. A 2024 funding call included support for high-power charging stations and megawatt charging stations for heavy-duty vehicles along the TEN-T network.
Electric Truck Fleet and Charging Network Expand
EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas has highlighted the increasing number of zero-emission trucks and the need to expand supporting infrastructure. The European Commission said in June that the number of zero-emission trucks is expected to increase from around 26,000 to nearly 400,000 by 2030.
The Commission has also backed the development of zero-emission truck corridors, including routes along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean and North Sea-Baltic TEN-T corridors.
At Connecting Europe Days, the need for larger charging hubs is being discussed alongside grid capacity requirements. The Commission’s exhibition programme includes projects involving heavy-duty charging infrastructure ranging from 350 kW to 1 MW, as well as plans for megawatt charging hubs with multiple simultaneous charging points and grid connections of up to 20-40 MW per location.
Charging Demand Expected to Rise Sharply
A recent study by Fraunhofer ISI and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) shows the potential scale of infrastructure demand. Under a moderate electrification scenario, annual charging demand from battery-electric trucks across Europe could reach around 100 TWh by 2035 and approximately 200 TWh by 2045.
The study covers the EU’s 27 member states as well as the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland. It finds that depot charging is expected to account for more than 70% to 80% of total charging energy demand in most countries and scenarios.
However, public charging remains important for long-distance freight operations. Charging demand is expected to be concentrated around major freight corridors, industrial locations and logistics hubs rather than being evenly distributed across Europe.
Grid Capacity Becomes a Key Challenge
The concentration of charging demand could create significant requirements for local electricity networks. The Fraunhofer ISI and ICCT analysis identifies regional charging demand and assesses potential grid constraints, including at substation level.
Expanding Europe’s heavy-duty charging network will therefore involve more than installing additional charging points. High-capacity grid connections, electricity distribution infrastructure and planning at freight hubs will also need to develop alongside vehicle deployment.
Alternative Financing Models Under Discussion
The Commission and industry are also examining financing models that could make charging infrastructure investments more predictable.
At Connecting Europe Days, industry representatives discussed alternatives to directly subsidising charging infrastructure construction. One proposal involves providing support to transport operators for charging fees when they commit to long-term offtake agreements with charging infrastructure operators.
The approach could provide charging operators with greater certainty over future demand while giving transport companies a mechanism to support the cost of using new infrastructure.
The Czech Republic’s experience illustrates another challenge. With only around 200 to 300 electric trucks currently operating in the country, transport operators may have limited incentives to invest in dedicated charging infrastructure. According to Jan Bezdekovsky of the Czech Ministry of Transport, EU funding remains important for supporting electromobility in markets where electric heavy-duty vehicle adoption is still at an early stage.
