The Volvo Group, Daimier Truck, and the TRATON Group recently announced the accomplishment of the final step of a joint venture to charge infrastructure in Europe. Anja van Niesen, the new CEO of the joint venture, will play a major role in supporting EU’s Green Deal for climate-neutral freight transport by 2050.
The joint venture (JV), as announced last year, plans to install and manage at least 1,700 high performance green energy charging points on and near highways and logistics hubs throughout Europe. They have committed to investing EUR500 million, which is the largest amount of charging infrastructure in Europe’s heavy-duty truck sector.
The JV will play a catalyst role in the value-chain as a charge point operator, (CPO), by managing and installing charging stations for heavy-duty trucks. It will operate as a legal entity and be self-governing, with its own corporate identity, and based in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Anja van Niersen will take the helm of this new company. She has extensive experience in the energy and charging sector and was previously the CEO and Chairman of the Board at a large European provider of electric vehicle charging networks.
The JV is a customer-driven company that focuses on the specific needs of transport operators. It will provide high-performance, reliable charging stations for all heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle fleet operators.
This is a call for action from all industry players as well government and policymakers to collaborate in rapid expansion of the charging network, as well investing in renewable energy to meet Europe’s climate goals. The charging network that was initiated by these parties will be available to all heavy commercial vehicles throughout Europe.
Martin Lundstedt is President and CEO of Volvo Group. “This is a long-awaited, major step towards achieving charging infrastructure for long-haul battery-electric coaches and trucks. This strong partnership is a milestone that will accelerate carbon neutral transport in Europe by 2050.”
Martin Daum CEO Daimler “Truck: We are excited to launch this joint venture with our partners. It is vital that we now take the initiative to build the necessary charging network. We call on all the industry to support our efforts. To make long-haul electric trucking viable, the number of charging points must increase as quickly as possible.”
Christian Levin, CEO TRATON GROUP – “To find the most effective solutions to the climate problem is our highest priority as an industry as well as as the TRATON GROUP. Customers always ask us where they can charge their electric trucks when we speak to them about electric vehicles. We are partnering with Anja van Niersen to support customers as quickly as possible. This JV is headed by Anja van Niesen, a CEO who has extensive experience in setting up charging networks. Anja van Niersen and her team will be supporting the important journey that will enable sustainable transport to continue its progress.
The JV team will quickly scale up operations and deploy network infrastructure to provide reliable, convenient and secure public charging for heavy-duty cars. The demand for electric coaches and battery-powered trucks is expected to rise rapidly over the next years. This team will collaborate across industries to develop charging solutions that meet the needs of drivers and transport companies.
Additional information, including the unveiling of the brand name, will be made available in 2022.
Joint venture partners, but also competitors in all other areas
The Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and the TRATON GROUP all will have equal shares in the JV, but they will still be competitors in every other area. In December 2021, the three partners signed the joint venture agreement. The responsible authorities have granted the required approvals since then.
