Charging medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles requires large amounts of electric power, delivered reliably and efficiently. To meet this challenge, providers will need to combine robust physical equipment with innovative digital technology.
As the world moves towards net zero, decarbonizing the vehicles on our roads is a major challenge facing businesses and governments. They account for almost three quarters of global transportation emissions. And a substantial proportion of those emissions come from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (about a quarter in both the US and the EU). So, finding clean ways to power these modes of transport is critical for future sustainability.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the key to sustainability efforts, offering the convenience of traditional road transport without the high emissions. Just as electric passenger cars are a growing presence on roads, businesses in sectors from mining and transportation to logistics and delivery are building substantial fleets of larger EVs – whether those are trucks and vans for carrying goods and materials, or buses and shuttles to get people around. The rapid increase in global electric truck sales – which rose by 80% in 2024 – illustrates the scale of change.
These medium- and heavy-duty EVs all need charging – and this can be done in a range of ways. En route charging hubs provide vehicles with a place to stop and recharge rapidly during a journey (for example, during a delivery truck driver’s rest break). Alternatively, larger charging depots – whether at bus stations, ports or large warehouses – allow EVs to power up their batteries over a longer period at the beginning or end of their trip.
To meet the demands of electrification, this kind of charging infrastructure will have to develop rapidly in the coming years. McKinsey estimates that Europe will need more than 300,000 charge points for medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2030, compared to about 10,000 currently. But the challenge isn’t just about numbers. Heavy vehicles require considerably more electricity to charge than their lighter counterparts (a large en route truck charging depot could consume upward of 10MW, as much power as two or three villages). This, alongside the need to support extensive fleets with complex movements, makes the task of charging larger EVs both technically and logistically complex.
1. Ensuring a reliable service through physical and digital infrastructure
The specific issues will vary across sites. En route charging hubs, for instance, need to prioritize delivering a fast and dependable service for vehicles stopping off there. At depots, there is usually more time – but also more vehicles and charging points. The challenge at these facilities then is less about pure speed and more about managing schedules and power use effectively. But given the size of some fleets, the amount of power they require and the time pressures they face, achieving a rapid rate of charging is still an important consideration.
Ultimately, all operators of EV fast-charging infrastructure must be able to provide large quantities of electric power to substantial numbers of vehicles, all running to tight itineraries – and do this consistently, efficiently and reliably. The high-power charging equipment itself is only one part of the picture. To meet the significant challenges they face, it’s just as important for providers to think carefully about the electrical and digital systems that underpin their facilities.
The sheer quantity of power required is one of the most important factors to consider. Many fast-charging sites will need to draw multiple megawatts, which will have major implications for electrical infrastructure and grid connections. Securing reliable uptime is also a critical concern because a problem that causes a shutdown can completely upend a charging site’s operations – causing queues and delays that in turn disrupt the essential services these commercial EVs are providing. Providers also need to be able to operate their equipment efficiently, getting the most from it to ensure good value from their considerable capital and operational spending. And they must be able to route power to their customers in a way that appropriately balances constantly changing considerations such as user needs, charger availability and energy prices.
2. Reliable equipment, efficient operations and dynamic load management
So, EV fast-charging facilities need to incorporate high-performing equipment into an efficient, innovative design. They need to manage this architecture cost-effectively and deliver its power optimally. These challenges are considerable – but with the right infrastructure, it’s possible to respond to them convincingly. Let’s take a closer look at the three key elements required to do this – and how technology from Schneider Electric and its partners brings these together into a powerful, end-to-end solution.
Firstly (and fundamentally), our electrical distribution equipment has been developed and tested through decades of industry experience and integrated with sensors for analytics. Our experts can advise how to best organize this equipment into optimal electrical systems to build robust, flexible power infrastructure to suit individual needs. We can provide modular and packaged equipment to minimize layouts and allow scale up as needed. We can also work with organizations to implement cutting-edge approaches to boost performance and prepare for future demands. Some sites may benefit from battery storage, on-site generation or a microgrid to help match power supply with demand over time and reduce dependence on the main grid. Others may want to explore direct current (DC) based architectures, using Solid State Transformers – which support higher voltage distribution, allowing better efficiency at higher power.
Secondly, our Asset Management and Power Operations technology helps manage this infrastructure efficiently. By attaching IoT-connected sensors to electrical equipment and analyzing the data these provide using advanced, AI-powered modelling, we can provide a detailed view of the health and performance of power systems. This supports a more proactive approach to electrical asset management – allowing fast-charging operators to identify emerging issues early and tackle them before they lead to incidents and outages. In this way, our digital service plans help businesses improve performance, reduce downtime, optimize maintenance schedules, and extend the lifetime of their electrical equipment. Additionally, if an unforeseen event does happen, our digital systems support fast detection and remote restoration to help maintain uptime and avoid having to send a crew to explore the situation.
Thirdly, Energy and Load Management solutions create an effective digital layer that is also essential to make sure power is distributed to EVs in the best way. When capacity allows, for instance, it could be more cost-effective for a particular site to charge vehicles overnight. At other times, it may need to deliver energy at a faster rate to respond to high demand or tight schedules. To make the ongoing decisions needed to orchestrate operations effectively, providers need a dynamic energy load management system (DELMS). This combines onsite controllers, resilient to communication outages, with a cloud-based decision system that interacts with third party fleet schedule systems and charge point management systems as well as weather, billing and local utility interfaces. By continuously assessing needs alongside costs, space and other relevant factors, the software allows providers to make optimal use of their infrastructure.
3. Flexibility for fast-charging success
When each of these elements is implemented effectively into EV fast-charging infrastructure, the results can be impressive. One place that has used technology from Schneider Electric and its partners to transform its operations is Montgomery County in the US state of Maryland, which created the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot to support its goal of reaching net zero by 2035. The former diesel facility now supports a fleet of 70 electric buses. Fifty-four of these can plug in at once, reaching full charge in about three hours. To support this, the site has a 6.5 MW microgrid that includes on-site solar capacity and battery storage as well as natural gas generators. The county makes use of Schneider Electric’s connected sensors and digital analytics to manage power efficiently – helping it avoid 160,000 tons of CO2 emissions over a 25-year period.
The Brookville depot highlights the potential of EV fast-charging when the infrastructure is right. But getting to this point isn’t easy. Each situation is different, and success calls for expertise across many areas. By working with other organizations – including Qmerit for site set-up, the EV Connect platform for managing charging networks, and The Mobility House Solutions for load management – Schneider Electric can offer the flexibility needed to overcome whatever challenges your project brings. These partnerships extend the power of our own technology, making sure it can support charging services that are reliable, efficient and secure. The future of smart, sustainable transport starts here – and we’re ready to help you build it.
Learn more about building a reliable, efficient EV fast-charging infrastructure. Download our white paper.
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