FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The German transport industry is criticizing massive gaps in the charging network for electric trucks. "The trucks are excellent, the technology works," Dirk Engelhardt, Chairman of the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Management (BGL), told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. However, he warned that Germany and the EU are lagging miles behind in the construction of charging stations, urging that more momentum is urgently needed.
The sector is currently suffering from a massive surge in diesel prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. Diesel continues to dominate road freight transport. According to Engelhardt, the share of electric vehicles among heavy-duty trucks in Germany remains well below one percent.
Control Center: Only 69 Sites with 270 Charging Points to Date
Road freight transport currently accounts for approximately one-third of CO2 emissions in the transport sector. The federal government aims to accelerate e-mobility in heavy-duty road freight. This includes establishing a fast-charging network for trucks along long-distance routes. According to the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, 350 sites are planned along motorways, featuring around 1,800 ultra-fast MCS charging points and 2,400 CCS charging points. However, according to a current overview, there are only 69 publicly accessible sites with 270 charging points nationwide.
The BGL industry association estimates the requirement to be far higher. According to a rough estimate, the complete electrification of road freight transport would require 40,000 to 50,000 charging points in the megawatt range. This is the only way to ensure smooth and rapid charging operations on the road at all times, the association stated./hum/DP/zb
