The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, together with the P3 Group, is coordinating the consortium for the ‘Hochleistungsladen im Lkw-Fernverkehr’ (‘High Performance Charging for Long-haul Trucking’) project (or HoLa for short), which is installing MCS (Megawatt Charging System) charging points at a total of four locations along central motorway sections in Germany. The aim is to test the technology under real-world conditions and lay the foundations for a nationwide rollout of charging infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles.
Prof. Patrick Plötz, overall coordinator of the HoLa project, which is led by Fraunhofer ISI: “Megawatt charging marks the beginning of a new chapter in electric logistics. For the first time, it will be possible to charge heavy -duty trucks for a range of hundreds of kilometres in just 30 to 45 minutes – a prerequisite for the economically viable electrification of long-haul trucking. The HoLa project shows that charging infrastructure, grid connection and vehicles can already be brought together today if all stakeholders pull together.”
Charging capacities of up to 1.2 megawatts
The charging point at the Lipperland Süd location on the A2 motorway uses the new MCS standard, which enables charging capacities of up to 1.2 megawatts. The four European truck manufacturers involved in the project are actively participating in the development and testing of the standard with their trucks.
In addition to demonstrating the technology, the project also includes extensive analyses of grid integration, site selection, economic viability and user acceptance. The findings will be directly incorporated into the further development of charging infrastructure planning at federal and EU level.
Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport: “With HoLa, we are bringing a key technology for climate-friendly freight transport to the road. Megawatt charging makes it possible for the first time to charge heavy-duty trucks for long distances in an extremely short time, making the use of battery-electric trucks in long-distance transport more flexible and economical. Projects such as HoLa show how politics, research and industry are working together to accelerate the decarbonisation of road freight transport.”
About the HoLa project:
The ‘Hochleistungsladen im Lkw-Fernverkehr’ (‘High Performance Charging for Long-haul Trucking’) HoLa project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport with a total of 12 million euros as part of the electric mobility funding guideline and is being implemented as a technology and testing project within the scope of the overall concept for climate-friendly commercial vehicles. Funding for this measure is also provided under the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutcher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ). The National Centre for Charging Infrastructure, which is part of NOW GmbH, is also closely involved in the HoLa project. The project consortium comprises a total of 13 partners from the fields of vehicle manufacturing, energy supply, grid operation, motorway management and research. Fraunhofer ISI is responsible for overall management and scientific coordination.
- Further information on the commissioning can be found on the Fraunhofer ISI website
- Further information on the HoLa project
© Images: Fraunhofer ISI, Mike Abmaier
