bp pulse has announced the launch of Europe’s first charging corridor for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks along the Rhine-Alpine corridor.
Six public EV charging stations with ultra-fast 300kw charge points have been installed along a 600km stretch of the corridor, which is one of the busiest road freight routes in Europe, connecting key ports in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy via a network of roads spanning 1,300km.
The new charging stations for electric trucks have been installed on Aral retail sites in Germany along the Rhine-Neckar and Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan regions. Aral is a German retail brand owned by bp. Two more locations are planned to open on Aral retail sites in the next six months, completing the charging corridor.
Once completed, the Aral pulse charging corridor will allow electric trucks to travel over 600km across Germany on one of Europe’s major road transport routes. The 300kw charging stations can charge more than 20 electric trucks per day, each station. With these ultra-fast charge points, an electric truck can reach a range of up to 200km in just 45 minutes.
The Aral retail sites offer access to hot food, restrooms and showers for drivers to use during a mandatory rest period in addition to dedicated charging in safe, well-lit and convenient locations.
Nigel Head, EV Truck Director, Europe, bp pulse, said: “This is a significant moment for E-Trucks in Europe and an important step in our journey towards helping to decarbonise truck transportation. By electrifying this stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor with ultra-fast charging, bp is enabling EV Truck charging beyond “back to base” whilst rapidly learning customer insights which will directly inform our longer-term European network and proposition.”
“By beginning the roll-out of a dedicated charging network for freight operators and fleets, with a focus on major logistics corridors, bp is supporting the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, decarbonising the movement of goods, as well as people.
“Ultra-fast charging in the right locations, combined with depot and destination charging, is critical infrastructure to accelerate the electrification transition, unlocking the economic and environmental benefits of low-carbon commercial road freight and transport.”
By 2030, it has been estimated that approximately 270,000 battery electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles will be in operation in Europe and they will require up to 140,000 public and destination electric charging points . This transition is already underway; the German truck fleet is now over 3.5 million vehicles and bp pulse launched its first ultra-fast-charging facilities for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks in Schwegenheim, Rheinland-Pfalz.
In addition to developing new dedicated electric charging sites, bp also aims to create a network of mobility hubs along key logistics corridors across Europe providing freight operators with a range of energy options, including traditional fuels to support our fleet customers at every stage of their decarbonisation journey.
bp has a global ambition of having more than 100,000 chargers installed worldwide by 2030 focused on ultra-fast charging.
