BP has opened its first fast charging station aimed at medium and heavy-duty electric trucks, as part of the preparation for mass electrification.
The station is located at BP's Aral brand fuel station at Schwegenheim in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, near the major B9 road.
It's a pull-through type facility, equipped with two 300 kW CCS2 chargers, which means that large and heavy vehicles can easily maneuver, compared to standard car charging stalls, which often require perpendicular parking (we saw it a few times - here and here).
The company estimates that during a 45-minute mandatory break, a typical electric truck can replenish around 150-200 km (90-125 miles) of driving range. Meanwhile, the driver has access to additional services such as food and drink for their journeys, as well as toilets.
Of course, in the future, stations like this are expected to be equipped with much more powerful chargers, with an order of magnitude higher output and the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connector.
For now, it's just the first step. In the case of BP's first station, the company partnered with Daimler Truck, which already manufactures Mercedes-Benz eActros and eEconic electric trucks. The two companies intend "to understand the requirements for a truck charging hub".
Emma Delaney, executive vice president, customers & products, bp, said:
“Schwegenheim is a perfect example of what the industry needs – ultra-fast charging with safe charging bays for trucks, close to strategic road networks and a place where drivers can take a break and refresh with food and drinks.”
According to ACEA, around 1,000 electric trucks were sold in Germany in 2021. It's expected that this number will increase significantly - to more than 150,000 by 2030, out of which some 43% (or almost 65,000) in Germany.
BP's Aral pulse charging network in Germany currently has more than 850 fast charging points for cars and light commercial vehicles, installed at Aral retail stations. In the coming years, the company will install thousands of additional chargers - some in partnership with Volkswagen in Germany and the UK.
