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Within the space of a year, TRATON Charging Solutions (TCS) has succeeded in giving customers in Europe access to a comprehensive and growing charging network for commercial vehicles for a more streamlined charging experience. Under the leadership of Managing Director Dr Petra Sundström, TCS’ network coverage will expand to the whole of Europe by the end of 2025.
“It's incredible to think of what we've achieved in twelve months. Previously, the experience for fleet customers in terms of accessing charge point locations and managing payments was below par. To build confidence in electric, we needed to bring simplicity and convenience to customers,” said Sundström.
With the challenge of reducing heavy commercial vehicle emissions by 90 percent by 2040, battery-electric vehicles represent a core part of the solution for decarbonized transport. Improvements within battery-electric vehicle technology alone, however, will not support widespread adoption. Shortcomings within the wider commercial vehicle charging ecosystem also need to be addressed.
Until this point, customers were reliant on multiple apps to access charging points, with factors like inconsistent pricing and convoluted invoicing arrangements diminishing the appeal of e-trucks. Sundström’s team came up with the antidote: a single harmonized interface that could cater for the diverse charging and payment needs of customers. This was seen as an opportunity for all TRATON GROUP brands’ customers and with that, TRATON Charging Solutions was born.
TCS quickly developed a backend platform that would lay the technological foundations for all TRATON brands to offer a similar service. Following a successful pilot program, Scania Charging Access was rolled out to all Scania customers.
MAN recently followed and launched a public charging service of its own – MAN Charge&Go. “Our aim as a shared service entity is to give all our brands the supporting framework to succeed. MAN has done a brilliant commercial packaging of its service, while TCS provides the backbone,” said Sundström.
With continued growth in the number of charging sessions among service users, TCS is already demonstrating its value. A general lack of charging locations means this number could be higher, highlighting a wider challenge.
The power of partnerships
Acting as an umbrella organization, TCS provides a seamless charging solution for fleet operators with at least one TRATON GROUP branded truck by working with major Charge Point Operators (CPOs) around Europe.
TCS started with just two partners, the CPO Milence and Hubject, the world's largest eRoaming network, providing users with access to a network of heavy-duty vehicle charging locations spanning eleven countries. This has since grown to include 15 countries, comprising 235 heavy vehicle charging locations, thanks to an expanding portfolio of CPO partnerships with names like E.ON, which is paving the way for future demand.
The charging supply conundrum
To accommodate this demand, the number of heavy-duty charging locations must drastically increase. While these are relatively inexpensive to install, the same does not apply for the supporting infrastructure for 350 kWh chargers. As long as truck volumes remain low, it is difficult for CPOs to justify the outlay until the business case improves. But without the required investment in suitable infrastructure, market adoption inevitably suffers.
In a classic chicken and egg scenario, Government incentives could play a crucial role in enabling CPOs to develop a more robust and widespread charging network. With the arrival of the EU's Trans-European Network (TEN-T Network) of highways, close cooperation between politicians, CPOs and other industry stakeholders will prove decisive in fulfilling regulations for heavy duty vehicle charge points in the coming years.
“It is vital that TRATON Charging Solutions is active in these conversations, engaging the right people to create the necessary enabling conditions for electric vehicles to succeed. Collaboration is essential for providing smart charging solutions that meet the needs of the electric commercial vehicle industry,” said Sundström.
After a year of hard work, it is clear that the journey is far from over: “TCS has always had a very entrepreneurial way of working. Operating with the speed and agility of a startup has allowed us to build some great partnerships in order to provide optimal coverage at a good price point for our customers. The ultimate goal is to absorb more and more charging operators around Europe. Having the weight of the TRATON brand behind us gives us the added credibility that a regular startup might not have. We are under no illusions about the enormity of the task but are encouraged by the progress we have made to date,” said Sundström.
