Daimler Truck has entered into an agreement with Volvo and Volkswagen AG heavy-truck business, the Traton Group, to develop a network of high-performance public charging stations for electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and buses around Europe.
The agreement, which marks the beginning of a future joint venture between the three parties, will see the companies invest together $500 million (NZD840.9 million) to install and operate 1700 high-performance, green-energy charging points close to highways as well as at logistic and destination points within a five-year period.
The number of charging points will increase depending on public funding and additional partners.
The future JV is planned to operate under its own corporate identity and be based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It will act as catalyst and enabler for realising the European Union’s Green Deal for a carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050 – both by providing the necessary infrastructure and targeting for green energy at the charging points.
Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and the Traton Group will own equal shares in the planned JV, but will continue to be competitors in all other areas. The signing of a JV agreement can be expected by the end of 2021.
The partnership aims to address an urgent need for a high-performance charging network to support truck operators with their transition to CO2-neutral transport solutions, especially in heavy-duty long-distance trucking.
“We are laying the necessary foundation in making a break-through for our customers to make the transformation to electrification by creating a European charging network leader,” said Martin Lundstedt, president and chief executive at Volvo Group.
“We have powerful electromobility technologies, and now, with Daimler Truck, the Traton Group and thanks to the European Green Deal, also an industry-wide understanding as well as a political environment to make fundamental progress towards sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions.”
Martin Daum, chief executive at Daimler Truck, said it is a joint aim of Europe’s truck manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
“However, it is vital that building up the right infrastructure goes hand in hand with putting CO2-neutral trucks on the road,” he said.
“Together with Volvo Group and the Traton Group, we are therefore very excited to take this pioneering step to establish a high-performance charging network across Europe.”
Matthias Gründler, chief executive at Traton Group, said the future of transport is electric.
“This requires the rapid development of publicly accessible charging points, especially for long-distance heavy-duty transport,” he said.
“We are now moving forward together with our partners Daimler Truck and Volvo Group to make this high-performance network a reality as quickly as possible.
“We now make the first step to accelerate the transition towards sustainable, fossil free transport. The second step should be a strong engagement of the EU for the full scale-up of a charging network across Europe.”
