The Volvo Group, Daimler Truck, and the TRATON GROUP completed the final step in forming the previously announced joint venture (JV) for charging infrastructure in Europe. The new JV, with Anja van Niersen as appointed CEO, is expected to have a significant role in supporting the European Union’s Green Deal for carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050, the companies stated in a press release.

As announced last year, the joint venture plans to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charge points on, and close to, highways as well as at logistics hubs across Europe. The parties are committing to invest EUR500 million in total, which is assumed to be by far the largest charging infrastructure investment in the European heavy-duty truck industry to date.

The JV intends to take a catalyzing role as a charge point operator (CPO) in the value-chain by installing and managing charging stations for heavy-duty trucks and coaches. It will be a self-standing legal entity, operating under its own corporate identity and based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Anja van Niersen, who will be taking the helm of the new company, will bring with her a breadth of experience from the energy and charging industry sector, most recently serving as CEO and later as Chairman of the Board of a major European electric vehicle charging network provider.

With a customer-driven approach focusing on transport operators’ specific needs, the JV will provide reliable and accessible high-performance charging stations for all battery electric heavy-duty vehicle fleet operators.

The JV team will work quickly to scale up operations and network deployment to provide reliable and convenient public charging for heavy-duty vehicles. As the demand for battery electric trucks and coaches is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, the team will work collaboratively across industries to design and build charging solutions that match the needs of transport companies and drivers.