Germany’s heavy-duty electric truck charging network is expanding, though the full scale of the infrastructure remains difficult to pin down. As of June 2026, the Federal Network Agency registers 53,300 publicly accessible DC charging points across the country, but finding a site capable of supporting a 40-tonne vehicle requires a deeper search. The electrive editorial team has analyzed the archives and recent data to track the development of this specific segment, which has moved from research concepts to a growing network of operational stations.
Early reports from 2018 focused on aspirational developments, such as Tesla’s work on an electric truck charging network or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s testing of megawatt charging standards. Much of that groundwork has since materialized. The HoLa project, formed in March 2021, brought together industry and research partners to create a nationwide charging concept for electric trucks. This vision quickly transitioned into reality as manufacturers and suppliers developed commercial products.
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Logistics operators rarely depended on a nationwide public charging network during the early stages of electrification. Many fleets operate predictable routes and can rely on depot charging, which reduces the urgency to build a massive roadside network. However, the launch of Volvo Trucks’ first heavy-duty electric models in 2022 shifted the dynamic. Companies began seeking public sites where trucks could recharge without uncoupling their trailers, prompting a wave of cooperation between rival manufacturers and charging specialists.
One major step in this direction was the formation of Milence in 2022. This joint venture, backed by three major electric truck manufacturers, aimed to build a Europe-wide HGV charging network focused initially on Germany. The operators recognized the classic “chicken-and-egg” problem of infrastructure development and took matters into their own hands rather than waiting for public funding.
Measuring the network
Quantifying the current state of the network is complicated by differing methodologies. Germany’s National Centre for Charging Infrastructure reports 88 locations with a total of 218 charging stations offering 355 charging points. The total installed capacity is approximately 90,700 kilowatts. The center notes that these figures, reflecting the status as of the end of April, now include operational megawatt charging system (MCS) points.
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For a more recent snapshot, the eTrucker app reports that Germany had 699 HGV-compatible charging locations as of July 1, 2026. The data is broken down into three categories. The first group includes 154 drive-through locations where trucks can charge without uncoupling, including dedicated HGV sites and passenger car parks with sufficient space. Major operators in this category include Aral Pulse Truck (33 sites), Aral Pulse (17), Milence (10), Shell Recharge (10), and E.ON Drive (7). Seven of these locations already offer at least one MCS charging point, with sites located in HoLa/Lipperland Süd, Aral locations in Buchholz, Hannover, Schnaittach, and Rastow, Energie Südbayern/Dettendorfer, and ESG Solar near Kassel.
A second group of 158 locations recommends uncoupling the trailer but allows charging without disconnecting when space permits. Aral Pulse leads this category with 34 sites, followed by EnBW (21), Ionity (11), and Autostrom Plus (9). The third category consists of 387 locations where trailers generally need to be uncoupled, though nearby HGV parking is available. EnBW operates the largest network here with 64 sites, followed by Ionity (52), Shell Recharge (50), and Aral Pulse (49).
These differing figures illustrate the complexity of tracking infrastructure growth. While the number of charging points has only increased by 85 units since last year, the total installed capacity has surged by 40,540 kW. This indicates that Germany is increasingly installing ultra-fast HGV charging stations, including MCS points with a minimum charging capacity of 700 kW.
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While the federal government has only recently launched funding programmes for semi-public charging, the concept has gained traction among logistics pioneers. Manufacturers such as MAN and Daimler Truck support initiatives where depot chargers, underutilized by their own fleets, can serve trusted haulage partners. This semi-public model offers an alternative to purely public infrastructure, though bureaucratic and digital challenges continue to limit wider adoption. For both public and private scenarios, a charging capacity of 400 kW is often sufficient, with MCS stations reserved for long-haul routes requiring rapid top-ups.
Researchers involved in the HoLa project have estimated the future needs of the network. They suggest that an initial public fast-charging network with at least 1,000 MCS charging points should be in place by 2030. If battery-electric HGVs achieve rapid uptake and require charging stops of around 45 minutes, that figure could rise to approximately 2,000 MCS points. Currently, the country has just seven operational MCS charging points. As battery-electric trucking gathers pace, the network will continue to evolve, but the path forward requires continued cooperation between manufacturers, policymakers, and infrastructure providers.