E.ON and MAN: Expansion of the public charging network for electric trucks in Europe

The German government wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy road freight transport in Germany by 55% by 2030 and be climate-neutral by 2045. The EU recently agreed to reduce CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles by 65% by 2035 and by 90% by 2040 compared to 2019. Against this backdrop, the industry is investing heavily in vehicles and infrastructure. E.ON and MAN Truck & Bus are jointly taking a decisive step forward in expanding the charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles in Germany and Europe. As part of their new cooperation, the energy company and the commercial vehicle manufacturer will set up around 170 locations with around 400 charging points for the public charging of electric trucks across Europe. E.ON and MAN are investing in the new charging locations, which are being built along the existing MAN service network and where commercial vehicles from other manufacturers can also charge publicly. Around 125 locations are planned in Germany alone. This will create the largest nationwide public charging network for heavy commercial vehicles in the country to date. E.ON and MAN are building further locations in Austria, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The new sites are located at strategically selected MAN service bases, primarily in industrial areas with high truck volumes or close to highways. This means that public charging can be easily integrated into everyday operations. The layout of the locations is specially designed for charging electric commercial vehicles: This includes, among other things, a drive-through facility through the charging bay so that trucks and buses do not have to maneuver. To ensure public accessibility regardless of the respective vehicle brand, the charging stations are installed in separate areas from the MAN service operations wherever possible – with separate entrances and exits for the charging area. During the day, drivers also benefit from the existing infrastructure such as sanitary facilities and recreation rooms.

The construction of the locations, which are specially designed for electric commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and vans, follows a modular approach. In the first step, the locations will each be equipped with several 400 kilowatt charging points. This will allow an average electric truck to recharge in around 45 minutes for a range of up to 300 kilometers. A later upgrade of the locations to the MCS megawatt charging system is planned.

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