Daimler and Scania roll out charging depots as part of electric truck offering

European commercial vehicle giants Daimler Truck and Scania have both announced new electric vehicle (EV) charging brands this week, designed to incorporate charging depots as part of their plans to accelerate the uptake of electric trucks and other commercial vehicle..

Germany’s Daimler Truck, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, will roll out its TrickCharge brand that will focus on infrastructure, consulting, hardware, and digital services, and aims to provide customers with an overall package that includes everything from energy generation through to vehicle operations.

TruckCharge will be aimed at serving both truck fleet operators and industrial companies with their own or an outsourced fleet of electric trucks. Importantly, TruckCharge will be available regardless of the brand of truck.

“We want to make e-mobility simple and profitable for our customers – also beyond the purchase of electric trucks,” said Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Meanwhile, Sweden’s Scania unveiled Erinion, a new company which will focus on private and semi-public charging solutions and aims to install more than 40,000 new charging points at customer locations.

Erinion will provide solutions for depot and destination charging, with an initial focus in Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, followed by a global rollout.

Like TruckCharge, Erinion will utilise a brand-agnostic approach to ensure that businesses of all types, regardless of the vehicle brand, can benefit from the Erinion charging infrastructure.

Europe is expected to see as many as 230,000 electric trucks on its roads by 2030. In an effort to help meet this demand, Erinion has committed to install a minimum of 40,000 charge points at customer locations by the end of the decade.

“In the transition, the transport system will be redefined,” said Gustaf Sundell, executive vice president and head of ventures and new business for the Scania Group.

Scania’s focus on depot charging at customer locations builds on research that suggests this type of charging will be the primary source of energy for both short- and long-distance operations.

Scania’s own research, combined with pilot programmes with customers, has also revealed the significant cost savings that come with enhanced depot charging solutions – with customers able to expect reductions in investment needs by up to 50 per cent and operational savings of up to €15,000 per truck per year.