Under the motto “Power to the Road,” Federal Ministers Dr. Robert Habeck and Dr. Volker Wissing, together with the main network operators and the industry association BDEW, officially launched the truck rapid charging network on the federal motorways.
To achieve climate protection goals in the transport sector and to enable the rapid market uptake of heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles, it is necessary to establish a nationwide, demand-driven, and user-friendly charging infrastructure.
Wissing states: “A powerful charging infrastructure forms the backbone of the climate-friendly mobility and logistics of tomorrow. With the truck rapid charging network, we are embarking on a real mammoth project here. Ordering the network connections is the first fundamental implementation step.”
“This provides planning security for the industry and transport sector and sets new standards of supply in terms of charging capacity: charging in the megawatt range, directly on the motorway, will become the technical standard and operational routine,” he adds.
Habeck says: “We are now creating the conditions for the mobility transition to also reach road freight transport. Our goal is to power trucks with green electricity only.”
“There are good conditions for this, as more than half of the electricity is now generated from renewable sources. Today is about distribution networks and charging stations. Everything must be advanced simultaneously so that the transport sector can contribute to climate protection,” he adds.
Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board: “We are pleased that the expansion of e-truck charging hubs on the motorway is finally set to begin. The earlier we are involved in the planning, the sooner we can realise the network connections.”
And she continues: “It will be crucial for all parties involved to work together in a structured process now. Efficient implementation solutions must be found for the approximately 350 locations and these must be planned into the overall network expansion requirements on site from the outset.”
With the Master Plan Charging Infrastructure II, the federal government has, for the first time, adopted comprehensive measures for e-trucks to ensure the establishment of this charging infrastructure.
This includes the development of a rapid charging network along the federal motorways in Germany.
At around 350 selected managed and unmanaged locations (PDF, 2 MB), truck-compatible rapid charging infrastructure is to be established. This is of central importance for the decarbonisation of heavy-duty transport and the economic location of Germany.
Two elements must work together: the expansion of the distribution network, triggered by applications for network connections with the network operator, and the establishment of the charging stations, initiated by funding tenders.
The publication of the tender for the approximately 130 unmanaged rest areas is planned for late summer 2024.
The Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, which has been commissioned by the BMDV to handle the network connections, is currently working intensively on the review and implementation of the necessary infrastructure technology at suitable locations.
For the first locations, the Autobahn GmbH has already triggered the network connection orders.
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