eTruck Ready? Charging solutions for the logistics…

Electric trucks are no longer a vision of the future – they are already part of everyday logistics. You have probably seen the futuristic images of electric trucks on display at trade fairs: streamlined, polished to perfection – almost otherworldly. Even though these eye-catching vehicles look impressive, the focus is less on their spaceship-like design and more on efficiency, everyday usability and economic profitability. The conclusion of the IAA Transportation 2025 regarding electric heavy goods transport is therefore: Vehicles are offered by all major dealers, and although the price is still very high at present, electric trucks can already achieve a better total cost of ownership (TCO) than diesel trucks under ideal conditions – thanks to efficient drives, lower maintenance costs, toll exemptions and cheap electricity. Furthermore,the expansion of charging infrastructure is still lagging behind expectations.

This makes it all the more important to take action in this area, because eTruck charging cannot simply be compared to charging a conventional electric car. The capacity of the batteries alone is many times higher than that of a passenger car, at 600 to 900 kWh. Truck charging stations therefore require a charging power of at least 100 kW for overnight charging and, according to current assumptions, approximately 700 to 900 kW for a megawatt charging system (MCS). Future fast-charging points for passenger cars (High Power Charging – HPC) with 200–400 kW could also provide an economically viable intermediate solution – more on this later.

These high charging capacities require a powerful high- and medium-voltage infrastructure, which needs careful and lengthy planning, as it often not only needs to be expanded but also installed. This makes it all the more difficult for dispatchers to coordinate eTruck routes. They must plan charging processes effectively along the available charging infrastructure, while factoring in rest breaks, a suitable turning curve at the charging location, points of interest (e.g. showers, restaurants, etc.), the available power and, above all, charging point availability. Dispatchers therefore need all available data to ensure that a charging station is working reliably, otherwise the entire planning process is thrown into disarray.

Despite all the obstacles, it should not be forgotten that the transport sector is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite efficiency improvements in trucks, total CO₂ emissions from road freight transport are now 21% higher than in 1995 – due to an increase in transport volume (see umweltbundesamt.de). In order to achieve national and European climate targets, a significant reduction in these emissions is necessary. In addition to potential economic relief, electric trucks also offer a promising solution here, as they do not cause any direct CO₂ emissions during operation – and what's more, they produce less particulate matter, less noise and fewer greenhouse gases.

Challenges in truck charging

Now we would like to take a closer look at the challenges already outlined in relation to eTruck charging from the perspective of the e-mobility industry. It is important to emphasise that, although at first glance these hurdles might suggest that the path is too complex and not worthwhile, a closer look reveals that both economically and operationally, the challenges can be overcome – with targeted planning, technological innovation and suitable software solutions, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. But let's not get ahead of ourselves and take a look at the hurdles that need to be overcome for eTruck charging.

Technology

Megawatt charging systems, high-power charging and integration into existing logistics processes require considerable investment. Operators must plan ahead in order to operate charging points economically and recoup their investment through efficiently used charging times.

Infrastructure and reliability

A uniformly available charging infrastructure and intelligent planning are crucial for the economical operation of electric trucks. Charging breaks must be seamlessly integrated into routes – otherwise, waiting times and inefficient processes will result. Digital systems for reservation and charging management enable dispatchers to efficiently plan downtimes and align routes with available charging stations. The supply chain – economically crucial for logistics companies – can only remain intact if the charging points function reliably.

As the number of eTrucks grows, so does the need for smart control: charging stations with flexible management ensure that energy flows, charging times and operating procedures remain efficiently coordinated.

Compatibility

Uniform communication and billing standards such as OCPP and OCPI are crucial for optimising data exchange between vehicles and charging points and seamlessly integrating charging points from different operators into fleet processes. This is the only way to reliably control charging processes, enable reservations and keep operational processes efficient.

Network and location factors

Energy supply remains a key bottleneck for eTruck charging. High charging capacities require stable networks, available connections and sufficient space – especially at logistics locations and transport hubs. Network expansion, permits and space availability often delay progress, which is why early planning and cooperation with network and location partners are crucial.

Solution approach: Centralised charging hubs for eTrucks

An efficient charging infrastructure for electric trucks requires more than individual stations – centralised charging hubs are one of the keys. They bundle charging points, optimise utilisation and reduce downtime through intelligent organisation. For the e-mobility industry, this means using infrastructure efficiently, controlling charging processes digitally and minimising waiting times.

Traditionally, truck drivers use public filling stations along their routes instead of driving to company-owned filling stations. Electric drives require a similar concept: strategically located sites where several vehicles can be charged efficiently and predictably. Centralised charging hubs offer the right solution here. They create synergies in terms of space utilisation, energy availability and management, which brings both organisational and economic advantages. At the same time, they enable targeted control of load profiles, reduce competition for grid resources and make the operation of charging points more predictable and profitable.

Centralised HPC charging hubs: efficient use of time and resources

The combination of centralised charging hubs with high-power charging (HPC) – i.e. charging stations with approx. 200 to 400 kW – shows how eTruck charging can be made efficient. Ideally, these hubs are located near logistics centres, industrial areas or transshipment points so that vehicles can be charged during loading and unloading processes or scheduled downtime without interrupting operations. HPC charging stations require less grid load than megawatt systems and enable flexible use tailored to fleet planning and operational requirements.

However, it is also clear that this is not the only solution. A combination of different variants is important in order to respond adequately to electrified local, regional and long-distance transport – or better still, to anticipate it. Ultimately, it is a race against time, as well as against the availability of charging stations and the number of battery-powered lorries: the more lorries there are, the better and more reliably the charging infrastructure needs to be built.

chargecloud: billing, reservation and reliability – the keys to acceptance

Smart digital solutions make it possible to efficiently overcome the challenges described above – technical requirements, uneven infrastructure, uptime reliability, limited charging points and process integration – and to optimise operations economically. This is where chargecloud comes in, enabling eTruck fleets to cope with everyday life: a holistic SaaS ecosystem controls charging processes, automates billing, coordinates reservations, optimises routes and maintains reliable operation.

Together with FRYTE, a company specialising in route and charging stop planning, we have developed a solution that enables dispatchers to reserve charging points. FRYTE takes care of route planning and determines which charging point should be reserved for whom and when, while the chargecloud CPMS releases the charging points. This allows charging times for drivers to be efficiently integrated into dispatching, avoiding waiting times and making optimal use of downtime. Through connection to backend and TMS systems, routes can be further optimised and integrated into existing fleet processes.

Above all, charging points must be managed to ensure they operate reliably If a charging point fails, the entire operation can be disrupted and planned delivery times may be missed. The magic word is uptime: together with our marketplace partner Evailable, we rely on predictive maintenance to significantly increase the success rate of eTruck charging and thus ensure stable use in everyday life.

Another approach is close cooperation with location partners such as Hubload: pilot projects in the Port of Hamburg show how charging hubs can be planned and operated economically to provide efficient charging infrastructure to surrounding freight forwarders as well.

chargecloud thus ensures that charging infrastructure is not only reliably implemented – for example, through the implementation of OCPI 2.3 – but also economically efficient and user-friendly to operate, directly addressing the e-mobility challenges described above. Acceptance among dispatchers, drivers, fleet operators and logistics companies can only be increased if we face the challenges together and ensure that a comprehensive charging infrastructure functions reliably.

Digression: FRYTE

The partnership between chargecloud and FRYTE opens up new opportunities for logistics companies to operate their private eTruck charging infrastructure on site efficiently and economically. The FRYTE platform makes it easy to share charging points at the depot with third parties – including a reservation tool that enables predictable and smooth use by external drivers.

In addition, operators benefit from the integrated dispatcher solution within the FRYTE platform, which supports easy analysis, planning and control of eTruck operations.

Thanks to deep OCPI integration, FRYTE x chargecloud ensures a seamless technical connection between the charging infrastructure, the FRYTE platform and external partners.

This turns the challenge of eTruck charging into a true opportunity: logistics companies increase the utilisation of their charging points, optimise their operating processes, and make an active contribution to the development of an open, interoperable charging infrastructure for heavy goods transport.

BMDV forecast

Electric mobility in heavy-duty transport is gaining momentum – driven by technological advances, falling operating costs and regulatory standardisation. According to forecasts by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV), the share of battery-electric trucks could rise to 78% by 2040. This will also increase energy demand to an estimated 120 TWh – approx. 6% of total energy consumption in 2040 – which will require efficient, intelligently controlled charging and grid management. Early planning, targeted charging infrastructure expansion and digital control solutions are crucial to operate fleets efficiently while ensuring economic viability. (Source: Easy charging at service areas – new study published on setting up network connections for e-truck charging hubs)

Conclusion

The electrification of heavy goods transport is inevitable – not only for environmental reasons, but above all from an economic perspective. Under ideal conditions, electric trucks already offer better TCO values than diesel vehicles – thanks to efficient energy conversion, lower maintenance costs (e.g. less brake wear due to recuperation, fewer fluids, etc.) and, in some cases, reduced toll and energy costs.

The remaining challenges can be solved through targeted investments, the expansion of the charging infrastructure and intelligent process integration. Charging times can be planned into existing downtimes and breaks, reservation systems and charging management ensure no or minimal waiting times, and digital solutions – such as those provided by chargecloud together with partners such as FRYTE or Evailable – enable optimal route planning and charging points that are reliably available.

Successful eTruck charging therefore requires a combination of reliable infrastructure, technology, standardisation and digital management. With a holistic approach – such as that offered by centralised charging hubs in combination with intelligent systems like chargecloud – downtime can be reduced, operating costs lowered and charging point uptime increased, which strengthens acceptance among fleet operators, dispatchers and drivers.

The path is challenging, but economically rewarding: those who plan early, use the infrastructure smartly and consistently employ digital tools will secure efficiency advantages and be well prepared for the ramp-up of eTrucks.