HERMSDORF/VOCKERODE (dpa-AFX) - The development of the charging infrastructure for e-trucks is making progress. Large charging parks for heavy goods vehicles have been opened on two important highways in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, as the operator Milence announced. According to data from the federally owned Now GmbH, 216 charging points for e-trucks are to be installed at 36 locations in Germany by the end of the year. However, some of these will also have a lower capacity.

The projects that have now been opened are among the largest parks to date, said a Now spokeswoman. According to Milence, they are "the first two ultra-modern public charging parks in Germany". Milence was founded by the truck manufacturers Daimler Truck, Traton and Volvo.

In future, eight trucks will be able to charge in parallel on the A4 at the Hermsdorfer Kreuz junction in Thuringia. On the A9 between Leipzig and Berlin, in Vockerode in Saxony-Anhalt, there are four loading bays. The high-performance chargers achieve an output of up to 400 kilowatts. This means that an e-truck can be charged in less than an hour, it was said.

Other manufacturers also have plans

The German government wants to create 350 charging locations with a total of around 4,200 charging points in the future. A tender for the operation of charging infrastructure at 130 unmanaged rest areas began in September. The rest are to be built at managed rest areas.

Other truck manufacturers are also looking into this topic: MAN, for example, has joined forces with energy supplier Eon to build 170 locations with 400 charging points in several countries, 125 of which are in Germany. Milence is planning 1,700 high-performance charging points across Europe by 2027.

Manufacturers are already relatively advanced in the development of e-trucks. One obstacle so far has been the lack of a charging network. In addition to space at usually already overcrowded rest areas, this also requires grid connections./dhu/DP/ngu