The agreement lays the foundation of a future joint venture (JV) equally owned by the three parties, with operations starting in 2022. They intend to invest together EUR500 million to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charging points close to motorways as well as at logistic and destination points within five years from the establishment of the JV.
The number of charging points is with time intended to be increased significantly by seeking additional partners as well as public funding. The future JV is planned to operate under its own corporate identity and be based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The JV parnters say that it will act as catalyst and enabler for realizing the European Union’s Green Deal for a carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050 – both by providing the necessary infrastructure and targeting for green energy at the charging points.
Martin Daum, CEO Daimler Truck: “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. Together with Volvo Group and the TRATON GROUP, we are therefore very excited to take this pioneering step to establish a high-performance charging network across Europe.”
The charging network of the three parties will be open and accessible to all commercial vehicles in Europe, regardless of brand.
By focusing on customers’ needs, different applications will be taken into consideration. Battery electric vehicle fleet operators will be able to leverage both fast charging tailored to the 45-minute mandatory rest period in Europe focusing on long-distance transport – the highest priority of the future JV – and also charge overnight.