Volvo, Daimler and Traton to jointly electrify European roads for trucks

Commercial vehicle manufacturers Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and the Traton Group have signed a nonbinding agreement to install and operate a high-performance public charging network for electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches across Europe. 

Battery electric vehicle fleet operators will be able to leverage both fast charging tailored to the 45-minute mandatory rest period in Europe and also charge overnight.

The aim is to accelerate the build-up of charging infrastructure to support the EU’s transformation to climate-neutral transportation.

The agreement lays the foundation of a future joint venture equally owned by the three parties, planning to start operations in 2022. The parties intend to invest together €500m to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charging points close to highways as well as at logistic and destination points, within five years.

The number of charging points will later increase significantly by seeking additional partners as well as public funding. The future joint venture is planned to operate under its own corporate identity and be based in Amsterdam, Netherlands and combine the broad experience and knowledge of its founding partners in heavy-duty trucking.

The collaboration will help realise the EU’s Green Deal for a carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050, especially in heavy-duty long-distance trucking.

Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of Volvo Group, said: “We are laying the necessary foundation in making a breakthrough for our customers to make the transformation to electrification by creating a European charging network leader.

"We have powerful electromobility technologies, and now, with Daimler Truck, the Traton Group and thanks to the European Green Deal, also an industry-wide understanding as well as a political environment to make fundamental progress towards sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions.”

Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck, said: “It is the joint aim of Europe’s truck manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. However, it is vital that building up the right infrastructure goes hand in hand with putting CO₂-neutral trucks on the road.”

Matthias Gründler, CEO of Traton Group, said: “For us it is clear that the future of transport is electric. This requires the rapid development of publicly accessible charging points, especially for long-distance heavy-duty transport.”