Charging Ahead: €70M for Electric Freight

EU backs 330 high-power truck chargers across key freight corridors, accelerating electric logistics across Europe

24 Feb 2026

At a time when Europe’s lorry parks still hum with diesel engines, Brussels is placing a sizeable bet on electricity. An alliance led by E.ON, together with Voltix and GreenWay, has secured €70.3m from the EU’s Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Facility, AFIF, part of the Connecting Europe Facility. The money will help build one of the bloc’s largest high-power charging networks for heavy-duty vehicles.

The plan is straightforward in outline, ambitious in scale. Some 330 charging points will be installed across 55 sites in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Denmark and Sweden. The locations are not random. They sit along Europe’s main freight corridors, where long-haul trucks cross borders and time is money. By focusing on high-capacity chargers designed for heavy vehicles, the project aims to narrow the convenience gap between electric trucks and their diesel counterparts.

The funding reflects a broader shift in policy. For years, electric trucking has lingered in pilot schemes and corporate trials. AFIF is meant to push infrastructure beyond that stage, reducing the risk for private investors wary of uncertain early demand. Electric lorries still make up only a small fraction of Europe’s fleet. Yet without reliable charging, fleet operators have little reason to switch. Infrastructure, in this case, must come first.

Each partner has a defined role. E.ON will handle grid connections and energy integration, no small task given the load that truck hubs can impose. Voltix specialises in developing sites along transport corridors. GreenWay brings experience running charging networks in central and eastern Europe. Together they promise publicly accessible stations and smoother payment systems, essential for cross-border logistics.

Obstacles remain. Grid upgrades can be slow, permitting slower still. Early utilisation rates may disappoint investors accustomed to steadier returns. Battery-powered trucks must also continue to fall in price to compete at scale.

Still, the direction of travel is clear. By underwriting a backbone of high-power chargers, the EU is signalling that electric freight is moving from aspiration to construction. If the network functions as intended, it could make cleaner supply chains less a pledge and more a practical choice.