Future Demand and Costs of Megawatt Charging for Battery Electric Trucks

Greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) must be drastically reduced. Battery electric trucks (BETs) are the main option for low-carbon road freight transport, but they require recharging infrastructure. However, a thorough cost analysis of public charging is lacking, especially for the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). This study estimates the infrastructure-related levelised cost of megawatt charging for battery electric trucks in Europe based on simulated truck operations and techno-economic modelling. The analysis combines empirical driving data with cost assumptions for MCS infrastructure. The reported values are infrastructure-only costs and include annualised capital expenditure, installation costs, grid connection costs and operating expenditure. They exclude electricity prices, taxes, levies, land costs and operator margins. Low- and high-cost scenarios differ in assumed charger hardware and installation costs, while grid connection costs and utilisation assumptions are held constant across scenarios. The results show that utilisation is the key driver of cost reductions over time. The infrastructure-related levelised cost of MCS declines to 0.03–0.07 EUR/kWh by 2050 under the analysed cost assumptions. The total annual infrastructure costs for Europe are estimated at 6.6–10.8 billion EUR, or 2.9–4.7 EUR cents/km. The results support policy decisions on infrastructure deployment and highlight the importance of coordinated rollout and demand growth.