Shared charging reduces the cost of a fleet of 10 electric trucks. The charging network remains a bottleneck.
Fraunhofer IFAM concluded its three-year Transportation in Charge project in 2026, which focused on charging electric trucks in industrial zones. Calculations show that making corporate infrastructure available to other carriers could reduce fleet costs, but first a sufficiently powerful charging connection must be obtained.
The project started in April 2023, when the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 and MAN eTGX were not yet available on the market. German manufacturers had not yet produced series-produced long-haul electric trucks, so demand for chargers for vehicles with batteries of around 600 kWh was just beginning to emerge.
Transportation in Charge, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, was intended to address how such infrastructure can be planned in industrial zones and logistics centers. The practical session featured Behrens Group and Rhenus Home Delivery, which use electric commercial vehicles.
It gets difficult without medium voltage
Fraunhofer identifies industrial zones as natural locations for charging. These areas house carrier bases, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants, allowing vehicles to recharge at night or during loading operations. This reduces reliance on public charging stations.
The network remains a problem. Without medium-voltage connections, ultra-fast chargers require their own solar panels and energy storage systems. Therefore, the developed recommendations place a significant portion of the responsibility on network operators, because without available connection capacity, electrifying large fleets simply won’t be possible.
“Electrifying large truck fleets will only succeed if we treat the industrial area as a single system. Early and coordinated cooperation among companies, network operators, and local authorities is needed. Technical solutions alone are not enough,” says Sönke Stührmann, the project leader.
There is no single universal charging solution. Trucks that stay parked overnight usually require 50-100 kW, but heavily used shuttle vehicles might need 200-350 kW. In the implementations analyzed, medium-voltage connections as well as modular DC charging stations that can be expanded later were necessary.
The charger can also generate revenue from neighboring fleets
Another aspect of the project focused on sharing the high costs associated with connections and equipment. Fraunhofer studied shared charging, which involves multiple companies operating in the same area using chargers together. The institute also prepared a guide and legal opinion regarding this model.
In the case study, a fleet of 10 electric trucks, used for five years and traveling 60,000 kilometers per year, generated costs of 352,859 euros. For trucks with diesel engines, the cost was 367,974 euros. After including revenue from selling energy to other users, the cost for the electric fleet dropped to 336,903 euros.
According to Fraunhofer IFAM, a charging price of around 0.30 euros/kWh is sufficient to reach cost parity with diesel even without sharing infrastructure. However, these are results based on a specific cost model, not a price list applicable to every fleet.
"Shared charging infrastructure is a tool for reducing costs and easing network strain, but it requires clear legal frameworks, defined roles, and trust," summarizes Stührmann. Operational data from the project also showed, according to the researchers, that electric trucks are already reliable and can be cost-effective. The most challenging aspect remains coordinating connections, access schedules, and agreements between companies.
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