ABB E-mobility, together with TRATON, DHL Freight and Milence, are encouraging European policymakers to enable charging infrastructure for heavy electric vehicles.

While the electrification for middle and last mile logistics is gaining greater traction, electric heavy-duty long-distance transport is still in its infancy. Megawatt charging represents an opportunity for more widespread adoption of sustainable transport solutions for long-haul commercial vehicles.

“The electric truck market is still nascent, but the technology is there and significant progress is already being made,” said Michael Halbherr, interim CEO of ABB E-mobility.

“Key industry stakeholders are working collaboratively to pave the way for a sustainable transport future for heavy duty vehicles. Firstly, by working on key technologies such as megawatt charging and digital charging management solutions, and secondly, by providing and optimizing solutions for the special requirements of long-distance transport like power density, greater grid capacity, microgrid integration and the demands of tough driving schedules.”

Christian Levin, CEO at TRATON, added, “The technology for the transition to sustainable transportation is ready — for trucks and buses and for charging stations.

“The TRATON GROUP brands have already proved that their battery electric vehicles are suitable for everyday use and can withstand even the harshest of conditions,” he said.

“Battery technology has advanced so much that a truck can now cover more than 1.5 million kilometers — in other words its entire lifespan — without needing to replace its battery. With the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), another crucial component of battery technology is also up and ready to go.

“We now need policymakers to act quickly and give us their widespread support so that we can build a high-performance European charging network at the required speed. This would then pave the way for the European Union to reach its climate goals.”

The past 12 months show the huge steps companies and institutions of the industry, among these, ABB E-mobility and TRATON, have achieved with regards to MCS. Together, they have already developed a first draft of the MCS standard.

Only few days ago, together with Scania, ABB E-mobility announced a pilot megawatt charging system had been successfully installed and tested in Sweden.

Although the charging power is not yet in the megawatt range, the initial testing, to prove the technical feasibility of the system and connector, and allowing first software communication between charger and vehicle, is considered the next milestone in the development of an efficient, high power charging solution for heavy duty vehicles.