Wissing: Tender to be launched in September

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) today held an online information event on the tendering process for a nationwide fast-charging truck network tender at around 130 unmanaged rest areas as part of the market consultation.

Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport: “Germany is becoming a pioneer of future-oriented charging infrastructure policy. Our tender will initially create new charging opportunities for trucks at around 130 locations in unmanaged rest areas. In addition to the planned locations in managed rest areas, with 350 locations, we will meet around two thirds of expected charging demand for heavy-duty transport along our motorways. The remaining third will then be privately developed. The first companies have already announced plans to invest in the truck charging network on private sites. I very much welcome their commitment. We will begin in September with the tender for 5 lots, each with around 25 locations on unmanaged rest areas. From today, potential bidders as well as companies that will be future users will have the opportunity to comment on the details of the tender. Because only together can we succeed in creating the necessary infrastructure for climate-friendly logistics and delivery transport.”

Johannes Pallasch, Spokesperson of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure and Division Head at NOW GmbH: “We are facing an historical task: Over the coming years, we need to electrify heavy-duty transport, primarily road transport. Our focus is on this fast-charging truck network as an overall system. In future, approximately 70% of truck charging will take place on managed and unmanaged rest areas. For the industrial and logistics sectors and for ourselves, the issue is scaling up, and fast. Attractive prices and a fair, competitive landscape are essential to securing the successful ramp-up of the overall system.”

About the locations and the number of charging spaces:

A total of around 350 locations exist along the motorways, approx. 220 of which are located on managed rest areas and approx. 130 of which are on unmanaged rest areas. The selection of specific locations of the fast-charging truck stations was carried out in six phases by the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure:

1. Determination of charging demand in long-distance transport (journeys longer than 300 km) for the year 2030.
2. Location of charging demand on sections of federal motorways based on transport and toll data.
3. Selection of suitable rest areas along motorways.
4. Aggregation of charging requirements according to sections of the federal motorways at selected locations.
5. Size of the charging location based on parking stays and duration.
6. Determination of the number of charging stations per rest area, taking into account space scarcities and determining the proportion of parking spaces to be converted into charging stations.

The invitation to tender:

The contract will be awarded in lots, with the planning, construction and operation of the charging infrastructure tendered together for each lot. The contract is expected to run for eight years; with a federal extension option planned for a further four years.

The roughly 130 unmanaged rest areas will be divided into five lots in order to achieve equal distribution. Each lot comprises around 25 locations. This division ensures competition and at the same time, synergies in the construction and operation of the charging infrastructure can be exploited.

The federally-owned Autobahn GmbH, as owner of the sites, is responsible for the tender and the award procedure. It will provide the necessary areas at rest areas of the motorways and order the required grid connections from the local distribution network operators. The BMDV will provide the funding for the establishment of these grid connections.

You can find further information as well as the online survey on the tender for a fast-charging truck network here.

Those interested can participate in the online survey until 16/08/2024.