Dedicated charging for heavy-duty vehicles is the next frontier
Electric HDVs can generally use the same charging points as LDVs, but the larger size of both the vehicle and battery, and the resulting longer charging times required can disrupt normal operations, ultimately creating a need for dedicated equipment and facilities. HDV charging facilities of this kind are still in the early stages of large-scale development and deployment.
Progress is being made globally on developing standards for megawatt-scale chargers, with the aim of achieving maximum interoperability for electric HDVs. This will be essential to enable a fast roll-out of the charging technology, and mitigate any potential risks and challenges faced by vehicle manufacturers, importers, international operators and equipment providers. In 2023, the EuropeanUnion and UnitedStates produced a set of recommendations for charging infrastructure, including the harmonisation of standards between the two regions. In essence, this provided recognition of the adoption of the megawatt charging system (MCS) – which allows charging capacity up to 3.75MW – by international standardisation organisations such as SAE International and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Some companies such as Kempower, who mainly operate in Europe but are expanding globally, are expected to introduce chargers designed to operate at up to 1.2MW in 2024, ahead of the formal standardisation of the MCS, though this is not expected to cause issues of divergence. In Asia, predominantly in China and Japan, the ChaoJi-2 began demonstration in late 2023. Although ChaoJi-2 has a lower power rating than the MCS (up to 1.2MW), it allows for compatibility with existing standards in the region.7
In March 2024, the United States released the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy. This sets out a phased approach to electrifying road freight, starting with establishing charging hubs at locations such as rail yards and airports, before expanding the network with the aim of achieving full coverage sometime between 2035 and 2040. Smaller demonstrations have also been undertaken, such as the Run on Less – Electric DEPOT scheme, through which around 140charging points were installed at 10depots across the United States. According to data collected by the Atlas EV Hub, a further 210 charging points are already operating in the UnitedStates to serve electric trucks, and another 1020 are planned, around 75% of which are due to be completed in 2024. The weighted average capacity of chargers whose power was included in the database is 180kW, with almost 95% being direct current fast chargers.
To date, there are around 160 truck-specific charging points deployed in Europe. In early 2023, Europe’s first truck charging corridor was launched along a 600km stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor, one of the busiest road freight routes in Europe. All 6 public charging locations are fitted with 300kW charging points. The company behind the corridor, BP pulse, is also electrifying one of the largest truck stops in the United Kingdom.
Looking forward, the EU AFIR details the progressive roll-out of minimum coverage and capacity for HDV charging stations, specifying that each station must include at least one charger of at least 350kW power output by the end of 2025. Alongside national policies, AFIR has sparked the creation of several pilot programmes dedicated to charging HDVs using MCS charging, such as HoLa, ZEFES, HV-MELA-BAT, and a joint ABB and Scania project. In late 2023, Milence, an independent joint venture established by Traton, Volvo and Daimler, presented their HDV charger. In collaboration with Hitachi Energy, they plan to build 1700 public charging points across Europe by 2027, based on the MCS.
Although high-powered charging can enable the decarbonisation of freight, it may also present challenges for the electricity grid, like fluctuations in power quality or supply-demand imbalances. These imbalances can cause grid congestion at the local level, and could affect entire regions where there is a large electric HDV fleet. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, are already developing policies to anticipate these issues. One way to mitigate challenges and avoid peak demand is through stationary storage batteries that are co-located with high-powered chargers. This solution would require significant capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the installation of large, stationary batteries, but it could also offer new revenue streams to charging station owners, such as through electricity price arbitrage or grid services provision. Co-locating renewable sources close to charging hubs can also decrease the stress on the local power grid. The electricity grid is a key enabling technology for HDV electrification, and careful planning and investment will be required in order to accommodate new loads. For further analysis of the impacts of HDV charging on the electricity grid, see the Outlook for electric vehicle charging infrastructure later in this report, as well as the recently published Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions.
