bp pulse has announced the opening of Europe’s first charging corridor for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks.
Six public charging stations with ultra-fast 300kw charge points aimed at E-Trucks have been installed along a 600km length of Germany’s Rhine-Alpine route. The corridor is one of Europe’s largest road freight routes, linking important North Sea ports in Belgium and the Netherlands with the Mediterranean port of Genoa in Italy via a 1,300-kilometer network of roadways.
The new chargers have been deployed in Aral retail locations in Germany between the Rhine-Neckar and Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan areas. BP’s German retail brand is Aral. Two more outlets on Aral retail sites are set to open in the next six months to complete the new charging corridor.
Each of the 300kw charging stations is capable of charging more than 20 E-Trucks each day. Using the ultra-fast charge stations, an E-range Truck’s may be increased to 200 kilometres in around 45 minutes.
“This is a significant moment for E-Trucks in Europe and an important step in our journey towards helping to decarbonise truck transportation. By electrifying this stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor with ultra-fast charging, bp is enabling EV truck charging beyond “back to base” whilst rapidly learning customer insights which will directly inform our longer-term European network and proposition.” Nigel Head, EV Truck Director, Europe, bp pulse.
“By beginning the roll-out of a dedicated charging network for freight operators and fleets, with a focus on major logistics corridors, bp is supporting the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, decarbonising the movement of goods, as well as people.
“Ultra-fast charging in the right locations, combined with depot and destination charging, is critical infrastructure to accelerate the electrification transition, unlocking the economic and environmental benefits of low-carbon commercial road freight and transport.”
Alex Junge, Aral Board Member for E-Mobility, said: “The discussion about e-mobility has been focused on the passenger car sector, but medium and heavy goods vehicles are also at a decisive turning point. Our strategy is designed to meet this demand with the right infrastructure and our first public electric truck charging corridor in Germany is an important milestone on this path.”
Johannes Pallasch, from Germany’s National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, part of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport said: “To reduce CO2 emissions in road freight transport significantly, e-trucks will play a central role in regional and long-distance transport. As with passenger cars, the switch to electromobility can only succeed with a reliable and needs-based charging infrastructure. With today’s opening, Aral is taking an important step in this direction.”
It is anticipated that by 2030, roughly 270,000 battery electric medium and heavy-duty trucks would be in use in Europe, necessitating the installation of up to 140,000 public and destination electric charging outlets. The German truck fleet today numbers over 3.5 million vehicles, and bp pulse just opened its first ultra-fast charging stations for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks in Schwegenheim, Rheinland-Pfalz.
In addition to developing new dedicated electric charging stations, bp aims to establish a network of mobility hubs along key logistics corridors across Europe, offering freight operators a variety of energy options, including traditional fuels, to assist our fleet customers at every stage of their decarbonization journey.
bp has a global goal of installing more than 100,000 chargers targeted on ultra-fast charging by 2030.
