The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) has released preliminary information on a tender aimed at establishing a charging network across approximately 130 unmanaged rest areas along motorways.
According to the Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing, the procurement process will begin in September, with the awarding of five lots, each comprising around 25 locations.
Attention now turns to the details that will define the success of this initiative.
In this context, Bruno Lukas, founder of Green Logistics Enabler (GLE), tells Mobility Portal Europe:
“I have two questions: whether there will be attractive economic conditions for charging the truck, and whether a reserved space will be available at the station upon arrival.”
Recently, there has been discussion in industry forums about the possibility of fleet operators bringing their own electricity supply contract.
What does this mean?
If a vehicle is used on the motorway and accesses a public station, operators would not have to pay the local price but could instead pay according to the rates stipulated in their own energy contract.
If this becomes part of the tender, “and it seems likely,” Lukas considers it will benefit logistics providers.
However, two crucial aspects must be addressed.
Firstly, an attractive price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) must be established, and if possible, the use of the operator’s electricity supply contract for charging under the known conditions at their base should be permitted.
What could happen if this is not stipulated?
“It won’t work, as if a company can charge at its base for 25 cents per kWh and at a public station in another region the cost is 80 cents per kWh, the business model breaks,” assures Bruno Lukas.
Secondly, it is important to develop a space reservation system, “which is not yet considered.”
After four and a half hours, truck drivers are legally required to take a break, most likely at a public station on the motorway.
Therefore, they need to be assured that when they arrive, a free space will be available to “refuel.”
“This can only be achieved through a reservation system, as in Germany all parking spaces are saturated with trucks, especially at night,” emphasises the GLE founder.
This is an area of research already being pursued by some local companies, such as PANION.
Using intelligent software with data-driven solutions, it aims to simplify the complexity of planning and managing electric transport fleets.
The system not only connects to the real-time vehicle control system but also receives information from the charging network and infrastructure.
With all this data, it allocates a specific parking space to each truck at a “refuelling” point for a set period and communicates this to the driver or responsible party.
Further details on the eTrucks tender
The contract includes the construction of approximately 350 points along motorways, with a specific focus on long-distance trips exceeding 300 kilometres.
The selection of locations was based on traffic and toll data, ensuring that the rest areas are suitable to meet future demand.
The selection process involved six steps, from determining supply needs to aggregating specific requirements for each section of road.
The state-owned Autobahn GmbH will be responsible for the tender and awarding process, providing the necessary locations in the rest areas and requesting connections from local network operators.
Funding for these will be provided by the BMDV, ensuring the financial support needed for establishing the infrastructure.
The planning, construction, and operation of the infrastructure for each lot will be awarded jointly, with the contract lasting eight years and a federal extension option for a further four years.
This structure is designed to ensure competition and allow for synergies in the creation and operation of the network.
Proper planning and execution of these aspects will be crucial to ensuring the project meets the needs of fleet operators and effectively supports the transition to more sustainable logistics.
However, it is also essential to promote the acquisition of electric trucks through the implementation of grants and incentives.
About Green Logistics Enabler
GLE assists carriers and companies with their own fleets in transitioning to alternative propulsion systems for trucks.
It conducts a comprehensive inventory and performs a detailed analysis of the operator’s needs.
Based on this assessment, it develops a concept for a zero-emission vehicle fleet, including the design of the necessary infrastructure.
Additionally, it provides project management services during the implementation phase and concludes the process with ongoing monitoring and periodic optimisation of procedures.
