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European Alternative Fuels Observatory
News article12 September 2022

Electric trucks: new data maps out priority locations for charging points

ACEA truck stop analysis

“Battery electric trucks will play a major role in decarbonising road freight transport. If enough charging stations are rapidly installed across the EU, their market uptake will increase exponentially over the coming years,” stated Martin Lundstedt, Chairperson of ACEA’s Commercial Vehicle Board and CEO of Volvo Group.

“Given that charging stations that are suited to the specific needs of trucks are almost completely missing today, the challenge ahead is huge. That is why we want to help governments and industry stakeholders to direct their investments to where they are most needed,” explained Lundstedt.

As truck operators make the switch to electric vehicles, it is unlikely that they will change their driving behaviour. The aim of the study is therefore to map out exactly where drivers make their stops today, and which of these truck stops are most frequently used.

Fraunhofer ISI analysed the GPS coordinates of some 400,000 trucks in operation throughout Europe over a period of 12 months, focusing on the duration of stops at individual locations. The analysis found that 10% of the locations most frequented by trucks in Europe (over 3,000) account for some 50% (78,000) of total stops that trucks make.

Based on the analysis, ACEA called on national governments to ensure that the top 10% truck stop locations within their countries are equipped with suitable electric chargers by 2027 at the latest.

The precise locations of all truck stops in 29 European countries are shown in the following map.

The maps also distinguish the different stopping times of trucks – short stops (under an hour) and long stops (overnight parking). This is important as the duration determines the charging needs, such as the time available for a full recharge and the required power output. The maps also identify exactly where the most used truck stops are found (mainly in rest areas along motorways, company sites, logistic hubs and ports).

Total truck stop locations Total truck stops/day Locations requiring chargers by 2027 Stops/day at locations requiring chargers by 2027 Locations requiring chargers by 2027 Stops/day at locations requiring chargers by 2027
1 Germany 7,452 34,521 746 18,3
2 France 5,833 25,615 584 14,357
3 Italy 3,367 10,688 337 5,857
4 UK 2,989 17,797 299 10,318
5 Spain 2,818 12,622 282 7,34
6 Poland 1,445 5,859 145 2,994
7 Netherlands 1,014 4,437 102 2,345
8 Belgium 899 4,646 90 2,317
9 Austria 877 4,27 88 2,235
10 Czech Republic 811 4,494 82 2,485
11 Sweden 672 4,716 68 2,578
12 Hungary 587 2,547 59 1,323
13 Switzerland 301 895 31 385
14 Slovakia 276 1,428 28 710
15 Romania 274 1,012 28 552
16 Denmark 269 1,488 27 725
17 Norway 217 1,837 22 913
18 Portugal 186 562 19 245
19 Bulgaria 138 402 14 213
20 Finland 132 622 14 281
21 Lithuania 114 305 12 156
22 Slovenia 102 800 11 425
23 Croatia 67 216 7 85
24 Luxembourg 60 442 6 259
25 Greece 58 136 6 73
26 Ireland 45 274 5 161
27 Latvia 44 141 5 61
28 Serbia 41 173 5 99
29 Estonia 33 136 4 62
  TOTAL 31,121 143,083 3,126 77,853

For further information about the research and ACEA, please follow the link to the original article published on ACEA website.

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