Daimler Truck, Traton and Volvo kick off European charging infrastructure JV

L-R: Martin Daum, CEO Daimler Truck; Christian Levin, CEO, Traton Group and Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO Volvo Group.

Daimler Truck, the Traton Group and the Volvo Group have completed the final step in forming the previously announced joint venture for charging infrastructure in Europe.

The new joint venture, with Anja van Niersen as appointed CEO, is expected to have a significant role in supporting the European Union’s Green Deal for carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050.

As announced last year, the joint venture (JV) plans to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charge points on, and close to, highways as well as at logistics hubs across Europe. The parties are committing to invest 500 million euros (Rs 4,123 crore) in total, which is assumed to be by far the largest charging infrastructure investment in the European heavy-duty truck industry to date.

The JV intends to take a catalysing role as a charge point operator (CPO) in the value-chain by installing and managing charging stations for heavy-duty trucks and coaches. It will be a self-standing legal entity, operating under its own corporate identity and based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Anja van Niersen, who will be taking the helm of the new company, will bring with her a breadth of experience from the energy and charging industry sector, most recently serving as CEO and later as Chairman of the Board of a major European electric vehicle charging network provider.

With a strong customer-driven approach focusing on transport operators’ specific needs, the JV will provide reliable and accessible high-performance charging stations for all battery electric heavy-duty vehicle fleet operators.

This kick-start is a call to action to all other industry players, as well as governments and policymakers, to work together for a rapid expansion of the necessary charging network as well as investing in renewable energy in order to reach Europe’s climate targets. As a clear signal to all stakeholders, the charging network initiated by the three parties will be open and accessible to all heavy commercial vehicles in Europe, regardless of brand.

The JV team will work quickly to scale up operations and network deployment to provide reliable and convenient public charging for heavy-duty vehicles. As the demand for battery electric trucks and coaches is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, the team will work collaboratively across industries to design and build charging solutions that match the needs of transport companies and drivers.