Milence is stepping up efforts to expand megawatt charging infrastructure for electric trucks across Europe through a new strategic partnership with charging technology company Alpitronic.
The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at accelerating the deployment of high-power Megawatt Charging System (MCS) stations along major European freight routes. The partnership comes as battery-electric trucks move closer to wider adoption in long-haul transportation, where charging speed and infrastructure availability remain critical.
The companies plan to focus on major freight corridors and TEN-T transport routes, creating a charging network capable of supporting the growing number of electric heavy-duty vehicles on European roads.
1,000 kW Charging Designed Around Truck Driver Breaks
At the center of the collaboration is Alpitronic’s HYC1000 megawatt charging system, which can deliver up to 1,000 kW of charging power.
At that power level, electric truck batteries can be charged to around 80% or fully recharged within approximately 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the vehicle and battery configuration. That timeframe closely matches mandatory driver rest periods used during long-distance freight operations.
The ability to combine charging with legally required breaks could make battery-electric trucks considerably easier to integrate into existing logistics schedules.
Unlike conventional CCS truck charging, MCS technology is specifically designed to provide substantially higher charging power for heavy-duty electric vehicles. The technology uses a larger connector capable of handling the high current required for megawatt-scale charging.
Milence Demonstrates MCS Charging With Major Truck Makers
The potential of the technology was demonstrated at IAA Transportation, where Milence joined Daimler Truck, MAN Truck & Bus and Scania for a live MCS charging demonstration.
The demonstration showed electric commercial vehicles being charged at high power, highlighting how megawatt charging could fit into real-world long-haul operations.
The charging installation used Alpitronic’s HYC1000 system together with a Pixii PowerBase XLP battery energy storage system. The battery storage unit provides up to 1 MW of power and has 2 MWh of storage capacity.
The combination can help reduce the impact of high-power truck charging on locations where grid capacity is limited. Battery energy storage can provide additional power when trucks are charging while also helping charging hubs manage their available grid connection more efficiently.
The demonstration also provided an opportunity to improve interoperability between charging infrastructure and electric trucks from different manufacturers, an important step as MCS moves toward broader commercial deployment.
Building a European Electric Truck Charging Network
Milence was established in 2022 as a joint venture involving Daimler Truck, the Traton Group, including MAN and Scania, and the Volvo Group.
The company is developing a network of publicly accessible charging hubs for heavy-duty electric vehicles across Europe. Around 40 Milence charging hubs are already operational across nine markets, while the company is targeting 70 hubs by the end of 2027.
More than half of those planned sites are expected to support MCS technology.
The expansion is particularly important along major freight corridors, where electric trucks will need dependable access to high-power charging to compete with the operational flexibility of diesel-powered trucks.
Beyond Charging Hardware
The partnership between Milence and Alpitronic is also intended to cover digital integration and charging-station operations.
The companies plan to work on technologies for remote monitoring, diagnostics and maintenance, with the goal of improving charging-station availability and operational efficiency.
For fleet operators, reliable charging can be just as important as peak charging power. A high-power charger that is unavailable or requires frequent maintenance can create disruptions in commercial freight operations.
As a result, the development of MCS infrastructure is increasingly focused not only on how quickly a truck can charge, but also on the reliability and integration of the entire charging network.
MCS Moves Closer to Mainstream Electric Truck Deployment
The growing availability of MCS-equipped electric trucks and high-power charging stations marks an important stage in the development of battery-electric long-haul transportation.
Truck manufacturers including MAN, Daimler Truck and Scania are advancing electric heavy-duty models, while charging operators such as Milence are expanding the infrastructure needed to support them.
With charging speeds reaching up to 1,000 kW, MCS could allow electric trucks to recover a significant amount of driving range during normal driver rest periods rather than requiring separate, lengthy charging stops.
The combination of faster charging, battery energy storage and a growing European charging network could help remove one of the major infrastructure barriers facing long-haul electric trucks.
As Milence works toward its 70-hub target by 2027, the expansion of MCS charging will be a key part of Europe’s transition toward battery-electric freight transport.
[source: Milence]
