ABB E-mobility and MAN Truck & Bus celebrated the premiere of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) in the presence of Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder.
The eTruck was charged with more than 700 kilowatts and 1,000 A at an MCS charging station.
Söder states: “Bavaria on the way to the mobility of the future: today, the starting signal was given for the first megawatt charging station for electric trucks at MAN in Munich.”
“This is state-of-the-art ecological and economical e-mobility that is being developed in Bavaria. We need to put our domestic industry in a position to compete. Innovation and technology secure the future,” he adds.
The premiere of megawatt charging was the starting signal for an elementary component of the mobility transition in the commercial vehicle sector towards climate-friendly mobility and the successful electrification of buses and trucks.
Especially in national and international long-distance transport or in loading and unloading situations, eTrucks and, in the future, electric coaches will need a fast MCS booster during the legally prescribed driving time break.
The new technology therefore complements existing solutions: Depot charging with lower charging capacities will continue to play a central role in the future.
The two companies have demonstrated at MAN’s development centre in Munich that MCS charging already works today.
One of the first megawatt charging points in Germany was installed there by ABB E-mobility.
“With MCS, sustainable long-distance transport with trucks and buses will be possible in the near future. Even if we are still showing a prototype here: With the new MCS standard, we have not only doubled the amperage but also the charging capacity within just a few years,” says Michael Halbherr, CEO of ABB E-mobility.
“To achieve the energy transition in transport, we need solutions that are sustainable, reliable and economical. To achieve this, we need to think integratively and work together,” he adds.
Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, reiterated his call for more speed in the expansion of the charging infrastructure during the premiere of megawatt charging: “The goal is 30,000 MCS charging points in Europe by 2030, around 4,000 of them in Germany.“
“The electric trucks are available, megawatt charging is working. We now need clear signals from politicians, not least to build trust among our customers in favour of electrification. We now need to build and scale up the infrastructure quickly,” he adds.
The new MCS megawatt charging standard is technically designed for charging capacities of up to 3.75 MW at 3,000 amperes (A).
ABB E-mobility and MAN have demonstrated more than 700 kilowatts charging power with prototype charging technology.
With the finalisation of the MCS standard, charging capacities of over one megawatt will already be possible. This will result in a significant improvement in charging times.
By way of comparison, today’s charging stations with the CCS standard (Combined Charging System) can be used by cars and commercial vehicles and offer a maximum charging capacity of 400 kilowatts at 500 A.
The international standardisation process for the Megawatt Charging System is expected to be completed this year.
ABB E-mobility and MAN have contributed their expertise to the creation of the MCS standard in the international industry association CharIN.
The fact is, a lot of energy is needed for MCS charging.
When so much electricity is flowing, the infrastructure behind the visible charging points, the grid connections and the space requirements, e.g. at motorway service stations, car parks or truck stops, play a key role.
Grid expansion and the digitalisation of the grids are not only essential for the future supply of renewable energy, but also a prerequisite for the charging infrastructure.
Read more: Will Germany remain one of the eMobility leaders following the elimination of incentives?
