Commercial Vehicle Charging Europe, the joint venture formed by the Volvo Group, Daimler Truck, and TRATON GROUP, has announced its new brand name, Milence. Rolling out Europe’s first large-scale public charging network for heavy-duty trucks and coaches, Milence will initially focus on charging locations in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. With half a billion euros in initial funding, from its joint-venture partners, Milence is starting a rapid expansion to support and accelerate the transition to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles in Europe and offer drivers a more comfortable and safe working environment.
A reliable public charging network, designed for the needs of transport operators and drivers, is essential to making the electric transition move as rapidly as possible. “That’s why there’s no time to waste, and we must start ahead of the market with the rollout of at least 1,700 charging points in the next five years,” explains CEO Anja van Niersen. ”In the current energy transition, it is important to use the available energy as efficiently as possible. “Already today, battery-electric trucking is the most energy-efficient and sustainable option for road transport.”.
Furthermore, on-site batteries at charging stations will enable trucks to utilise stored green energy, decreasing peak energy demand. In this way Milence can reduce electrical grid congestion, balancing the demand and offering a pragmatic solution for the current grid congestion in many countries. While the current charging standard (CCS) already enables some heavy-duty trucks to fully charge in under 90 minutes, the new Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will make it possible to charge a 40-tonne truck in 30-45 minutes while drivers take their mandatory break.
To improve driver working conditions, Milence will ensure that charging sites are safe, secure, and offer facilities and services suited to drivers’ needs. These include clean sanitation facilities, food and beverage services, recreation facilities and a high level of security, says the company.
Within two to four years, battery-electric trucks will have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than diesel trucks for a broad range of transports, including long haulage, claims Milence. “In some cases the TCO for battery-electric trucks used for regional transport is already lower. Within a few years this will also be the case for long-haul trucks in many countries in Europe,” says Van Niersen. “With favourable EU regulations, lower costs of ownership, improved working conditions for truck drivers, and the rollout of a Europe-wide megawatt charging network, we expect battery-electric trucking to transform the road transport industry in the coming years.”
”We will build a network of (at least) 1,700 safe, reliable, and convenient public charging solutions for heavy-duty trucks in Europe in the next five years,” explains Roel Vissers, Director Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs at Milence. ”We need the most ambitious and talented people to drive this change and build this network, please have a look and apply for one of the many open positions at our new website www.milence.com. Would you like to join this movement as a landowner, do you have public charging needs as a transport company, or can you contribute otherwise, please reach out!”
Established in July 2022 as a joint venture between Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP, and the Volvo Group, Milence is dedicated to building and operating at least 1,700 public charge points in Europe by 2027, its mission is to support and accelerate the transition to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles in Europe. With 500 million euros in initial funding, the JV will deliver sustainable energy for all battery-electric heavy-duty trucks and coaches, regardless of brand.
