Climate-friendly commercial vehicles: Inadequate charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure severely hampers market ramp-up – rapid expansion urgently needed

Heavy-duty transport accounts for just under 30% of CO₂ emissions on Europe's roads. This highlights the enormous potential commercial vehicles have to contribute to climate action. German commercial vehicle manufacturers have stepped up, offering innovative, CO₂-neutral solutions and vehicles designed to meet every challenge. The reason these products are not yet more widely seen on the roads is the lack of an adequate framework – specifically, the absence of a desperately needed charging infrastructure. The fact is that European policymakers have – despite ambitious CO₂ fleet regulations for heavy-duty vehicles backed by penalties – grossly neglected their duty to provide a high-performance charging infrastructure for electric commercial vehicles. The need for improvement and adjustment is immense: according to ACEA, approx. 35,000 publicly accessible Megawatt Charging System (MCS) fast-charging points will be required across Europe by 2030. In total, the EU needs up to 50,000 charging points suitable for trucks by 2030.

Long-haul electric truck drivers can only optimally comply with statutory driving and break times by using the ultra-fast MCS. According to VDA estimates, around 4,000 public MCS charging points will be needed in Germany alone by 2030.

Actual values very far away from what is necessary

Currently, a mere 730 charging points with a minimum output of over 350kW are available EU-wide exclusively for heavy-duty commercial vehicles (Source: EAFO; data from July 2026).

VDA President Hildegard Müller: "Inadequate charging infrastructure is the key bottleneck hindering the market ramp-up of electric commercial vehicles. Neither the currently available charging infrastructure nor existing expansion plans at the national or European level are sufficient for the widespread use of battery-electric commercial vehicles in long-haul transport or for their practical application in the transport sector. Furthermore, the insufficient expansion of power grids impedes a rapid transformation of road freight transport. Achieving ambitious CO₂ reduction targets requires high-performance charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles and the expansion of the associated power grids. There is an immense need to catch up."

German automotive industry has made upfront investments

The commercial vehicle industry is already delivering suitable zero-emission solutions, Müller added. "Battery-electric trucks from German manufacturers with ranges of over 500km and hydrogen vehicles from German manufacturers with ranges of 700 to 800km are available. Automotive companies are also already actively involved in numerous projects to expand charging infrastructure. For instance, they are driving the development of charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles through the joint venture Milence."

Charging infrastructure in Germany still in its early stages - expansion turbo-boost is needed now

Currently, 88 locations with a total of 355 charging points for heavy-duty commercial vehicles are in operation in Germany (as of July 2026, source: National Centre for Charging Infrastructure (NLL)). According to NLL plans, a total of 350 public charging locations are to be established along major transport corridors at both full-service and basic rest areas by 2030. The initial truck charging network envisages a total of 4,200 public charging points, comprising 1,800 high-power charging points using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) and 2,400 charging points using the Combined Charging System (CCS).

Müller: "Currently, fewer than one-tenth of the planned charging points are in operation. With the initial truck charging network and the Master Plan for Charging Infrastructure, the Federal Government has essentially set the right wheels in motion. Now, however, we need to shift the expansion into high gear. Germany must not miss its self-imposed expansion targets. Furthermore, the rollout of MCS high-power charging infrastructure and the associated power grids must be scaled up to meet demand. We anticipate a need for 4,000 MCS charging points in Germany by 2030." 

Regulatory requirements must be more closely linked to real market ramp-up

For the EU, the so-called Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) mandates the establishment of around 2,000 truck charging locations along motorways by 2030, each with a minimum capacity of 3,600kW. However, these requirements are insufficient to ensure the availability of 35,000 publicly accessible MCS fast-charging points across Europe by 2030.

The EU Commission must therefore urgently bring forward the review of CO₂ fleet regulations for heavy-duty vehicles – scheduled for 2027 – in order to identify the need for action and address it swiftly. This also includes an annual review of the AFIR to regularly ensure progress on implementation across the Member States.

Müller: "Regulatory requirements must be more closely aligned with the actual market ramp-up. Furthermore, it is essential to avoid imposing penalty payments on commercial vehicle manufacturers. Such penalties would place an unnecessary burden on companies already facing a challenging situation and hinder investments in the transition to climate-neutral, digital mobility. What we need is a regulatory framework that enables investment in climate-friendly technologies, ensures industrial resilience, and fosters innovation, rather than jeopardizing our industrial base as is currently the case."

Route and charging planning remains subject to uncertainties

Another challenge for industry and logistics is the highly uneven distribution of charging infrastructure across Europe: 65% of the charging points in the EU dedicated exclusively to heavy-duty commercial vehicles are located in just three countries – Sweden, Germany, and France. In key transit countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, there are currently no exclusive charging points of this power class for heavy-duty commercial vehicles at all.

"Significant disparities between countries regarding the rollout of charging infrastructure create major obstacles for cross-border road freight transport. For freight forwarders, route and charging planning remain fraught with considerable uncertainty in many areas. This is another reason why the level of ambition under AFIR needs to be raised. Furthermore, the expansion of charging infrastructure must not focus solely on the TEN-T core network. Transport routes outside the main corridors also require high-performance charging infrastructure to prevent supply gaps and support the ramp-up in rural regions. At the same time, the European Commission must hold Member States more accountable and establish binding requirements for the rapid expansion of infrastructure," the VDA President said.

Enormous need for expansion of hydrogen refueling infrastructure as well

The planned review of the AFIR must also include more ambitious rollout targets for hydrogen refueling stations. It is crucial that hydrogen refueling infrastructure stays ahead of the market ramp-up and provides sufficient capacity early on to meet growing demand. Furthermore, the development of a European hydrogen network must be accelerated. The AFIR mandates that, by the end of 2030, publicly accessible hydrogen refueling stations with a capacity of at least one ton of hydrogen per day be established along the TEN-T core network. These stations must feature at least one 700bar dispenser and be spaced no more than 200km apart. In addition, at least one station is required for each urban node. However, the actual infrastructure needs of heavy-duty transport significantly exceed these minimum requirements. The AFIR’s one-ton-per-day capacity figure assumes continuous 24-hour operation. In real-world heavy-duty transport, however, demand is concentrated within much shorter time windows of approximately ten hours. "Refueling stations must therefore be capable of delivering the required daily volume during these peak periods. This necessitates correspondingly higher performance and capacity standards," Müller urged. "At the same time, hydrogen refueling stations should be designed to allow for future scaling, enabling them to supply volumes exceeding one ton per day."

Hydrogen filling stations still scarce

The VDA estimates that by 2030, Europe will require around 2,000 hydrogen refueling stations suitable for trucks, each with a capacity of approximately 2 tons of hydrogen per day. Of these, around 300 will be needed in Germany. A look at the data highlights the need for action: to date, there are only about 150 hydrogen refueling stations operating at 350bar and 168 operating at 700bar across the EU. Around one-third (31%) of the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is located in Germany (Source: EAFO, as of July 2026). In many EU countries – particularly in Eastern and Southern Europe – there are no hydrogen refueling stations for trucks at all.

Müller: “Mobility does not stop at national borders. The expansion of hydrogen refueling infrastructure and the associated networks must be closely coordinated among Member States to avoid gaps, particularly along cross-border transport corridors. At the same time, investment and permission frameworks must be designed to enable the rapid deployment of high-performance, economically viable hydrogen refueling stations. A reform of the Energy Taxation Directive is also crucial for scaling up hydrogen mobility – specifically with a view to ensuring equal tax treatment for vehicles with hydrogen combustion engines and fuel-cell vehicles.”

Depot charging: another key pillar

Alongside public charging infrastructure, depot charging – charging at operational depots – plays a crucial role. It accommodates customers' operational workflows and is cost-effective. Of the total charging capacity demand of just under 14GW projected by the NLL for Germany by 2030 (based on 2024 data from European commercial vehicle manufacturers), the NLL’s plans for public infrastructure expansion cover only 2.6GW. Consequently, over 11GW would need to be provided via private depot charging facilities. This highlights the fact that depot charging constitutes the second key pillar of charging infrastructure for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Furthermore, the installation and grid connection of charging points at depots must proceed quickly and without bureaucratic hurdles for companies. 

VDA warns: Grid connection can take up to ten years in some cases

Müller: "Depot charging is a crucial prerequisite for the successful ramp-up of electric mobility in road freight transport. To date, however, the grid connections required by companies entail high costs, lengthy permission processes, and significant uncertainties. For industrial facilities and large truck charging hubs, expanding grid connections can currently take up to ten years in some cases. This is unacceptable and significantly hinders the transition to climate-neutral mobility. A Europe-wide harmonized permission framework for charging infrastructure at depots and logistics hubs is needed. The European Commission should establish binding permission deadlines and standardize the legal framework for application procedures, thereby accelerating the overall rollout. At the same time, the high-capacity power grids urgently needed for this purpose must be provided. Furthermore, for comprehensive charging coverage, it is essential that commercial vehicles be able to charge at third-party depots in the future. However, a reliable legal and operational framework for this is currently lacking. Only when depot charging is established as a second key pillar alongside public charging infrastructure, efficient business models for route planning will be able to develop."

Operating cost advantages are key lever for triggering investments in climate-friendly vehicles and infrastructure

Improvements are also needed regarding the broader framework conditions for the successful market ramp-up of zero-emission trucks. In this context, the business costs faced by transport operators must not be overlooked. Particularly in road freight transport, operational cost advantages are a key lever for driving investment in climate-friendly vehicles and infrastructure. For instance, differentiating truck tolls based on CO₂ emissions helps lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for zero-emission trucks and makes them more attractive compared to conventional trucks. Therefore, all EU countries should swiftly introduce a CO₂ component into their toll systems. A full toll exemption for zero-emission trucks, as implemented in Germany, is the most effective measure in this regard. Furthermore, the regulations concerning CO₂-based tolls should be made more binding for Member States during the next review of the EU Tolls Directive.