Container logistics provider Contargo is currently setting up Germany’s largest private charging infrastructure for e-trucks.
Contargo celebrated the official opening of its charging infrastructure for fully electric trucks at the Neuss terminal on February 14, 2025. The company is currently setting up up to 90 charging points and energy management systems, including battery storage, for its growing e-truck fleet at 15 locations – supported by funding from the federal government.
Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Digital and Transport, symbolically opened the first eight charging points in Neuss with a speech: “I am pleased that with our funding, we have kick-started the market launch of climate-friendly heavy commercial vehicles, and that this is already progressing dynamically. Every climate-friendly truck helps us to achieve a key goal of our political work: to make our country climate-neutral by 2045. Contargo is therefore a role model for the entire industry. It is great to see how wisely the company has used the investments and recognized the opportunities of the transformation – this is how we achieve impressive innovations in Germany together.”
Jürgen Albersmann, CEO Contargo: “Today we are symbolically opening eight charging points at the Neuss location, on behalf of all our other locations–but these points stand for much more. It is the foundation stone for the decarbonization of our truck fleet. We, as one of the largest trimodal hinterland container logistics networks, see it as our responsibility to present real solutions, so that together with our customers we can actively advance the mobility transition in the area of transportation. This commitment is important, as combined transport will grow strongly in the next few years.”
Geared for growth
Similar facilities are currently being built at 14 other locations of the Contargo Group. So far, 22 charging points with a capacity of 250 kW each are in operation at seven locations. The aim is to have a total of 90. With its own charging infrastructure, the company can supply its all-electric trucks with green electricity.
Contargo’s fleet of all-electric 44-tonners currently comprises 57 vehicles, with a further 33 to be delivered soon. As soon as all 90 charging points are operational, it should be possible to scale up the fleet. The charging infrastructure is designed for further growth, so that in future vehicles from subcontractors can also be charged there.
Pioneering work on the road to charging infrastructure
“These are not just mere charging stations. They are part of a complete integration into the container terminal ecosystem,” explains Olaf Jahn, Operations Manager in Neuss and responsible for the project’s energy management across all locations. “Thanks to our intelligent energy management system, we can optimally adapt our various consumers – from the crane systems and office infrastructure to reefer containers and charging points for e-trucks – to the available power supply.”
In the future, the electricity for the Contargo terminals will come not only from their electricity provider, but also from the recuperation of the crane facilities and from photovoltaic systems. The battery storage ensures that no peak loads occur that would make operations more expensive. In addition, surpluses can be stored for times when electricity demand is high.
This integration of the expansion of the charging infrastructure, which is being implemented during ongoing operations, is an extremely complex task, confirms Pinar Yüzgec Elma, Charging Infrastructure Project Manager at Contargo. “On the one hand, we have to coordinate with a very large number of parties involved, from network operators to property owners and building authorities. On the other hand, very few of them have experience with a project like this. Nevertheless, it is impressive to see how everyone is working together on this forward-looking solution.”
Further information can be found on the Contargo website
Financial support from the German government and the EU
A total of 86 e-trucks and 93 charging points in the Contargo network are receiving funding support from the “KsNI” programme for the funding of light and heavy commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly drives and the associated filling and charging infrastructure. The funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport and amounts to around 42.4 million euros. Of this, around 15.1 million euros will be provided through the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutscher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) via the Next Generation EU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by the NOW GmbH, and applications are approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität).
About NOW GmbH
Since 2008, NOW GmbH has been supporting the federal government’s targets in its climate and industrial policy. The tasks of the federally-owned company include developing, monitoring and evaluating funding programmes about climate-neutral mobility and energy supply. NOW GmbH experts supervise projects in the areas of hydrogen, fuel cells, battery and renewable fuels. They reimagine mobility and fuels for cars, buses, trains, commercial vehicles, ships and airplanes, and support the establishment and further development of charging infrastructure and hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and trucks. More information on NOW can be found here.
Image: Contargo