Published: 16. 7. 2024

E.ON and MAN Truck & Bus have jointly committed to take a major step forward in expanding the charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles in Europe. As part of the new collaboration, the energy company and the commercial vehicle manufacturer will build around 170 sites with around 400 public charging stations for electric trucks across Europe. E.ON and MAN are investing in a new public network of charging stations, which will be built on the sites of the existing MAN service network and will also be able to charge commercial vehicles from other manufacturers. The agreement includes the deployment of a public network in Germany, Austria, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Specifically in the Czech Republic, as part of the first phase of the project, E.ON and MAN are analysing four locations where these stations could be put into operation.

“Europe has set a target to reduce emissions from heavy commercial vehicles by 90 percent by 2040. Electromobility is central to achieving this goal,” said Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO of E.ON. “We are investing heavily to significantly boost the infrastructure for electric heavy haulage and set the course for sustainable logistics. Almost all major manufacturers are now focusing their development towards electromobility. To achieve these goals, we need a high-performance charging infrastructure that is designed on a European scale. We are delighted to be able to lead the way together with MAN,” adds Leonhard Birnbaum.

Alexander Vlaskamp, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus, adds: “To make the transition to mobility a success, we need around 50,000 charging stations for heavy commercial vehicles in Europe by 2030. As a manufacturer of electric trucks, we will be part of this change. I am very pleased that E.ON is a strong partner for the electrification of our service points. We are laying another cornerstone for a public charging network. But we will still need the support of individual governments to build this network on the largest possible scale.”

The new sites will be located in strategically selected MAN service locations, especially in industrial areas with a high volume of truck movements or near motorways. This means that public charging can be easily integrated into daily operations. The layout of the charging stations will be designed, where possible, to allow trucks and buses to pass through the charging station without having to manoeuvre in a complicated manner. In locations where the layout permits, these charging points will be located separately from the MAN service areas to ensure accessibility even outside opening hours. However, drivers of all brands will still be able to use the facilities at each location.

The sites will be built in a modular way. In a first step, each site will be equipped with several charging stations with a capacity of up to 400 kW. This will allow the average electric truck to recharge its batteries for a range of up to 300 kilometres in around 45 minutes. Later, the sites will be upgraded with a new megawatt MCS charging system.

Cross-sector commitment to accelerate the expansion of truck charging infrastructure

The first 80 locations of the new charging station network will be in place by the end of 2025. Sukhjinder Singh, CEO of E.ON’s subsidiary E.ON Drive Infrastructure, says: “The partnership with MAN Truck & Bus is a key milestone on the road to a sustainable future for heavy goods transport. By combining MAN’s extensive service network with E.ON’s expertise in charging infrastructure, we are setting a new standard for electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector.”

Friedrich Baumann, Member of the Board of Management of MAN Truck & Bus SE, responsible for Sales and Customer Solutions, says: “This year, we will start series production of our electric models, which are designed for almost all applications. The feedback from our customers has been very positive. However, the right charging infrastructure will ultimately determine whether our customers actually switch from diesel to electric. I am therefore pleased that together with E.ON we are now embarking on the electrification of our service network.”

Source E.ON