Efficient overnight charging solutions for electric trucks: Ekoenergetyka and bp pulse become partners

Polish player Ekoenergetyka is one of the few providers capable of delivering large-scale charging solutions for e-trucks, thanks to its over 15 years of experience in developing overnight charging infrastructure for public transport electrification. bp pulse is bp’s electric vehicle (EV) charging business. Focused on fast and reliable charging, bp pulse deploys charging points for EV drivers and commercial fleets on the go; at destination hubs, at the depot and bp retail sites.

The two companies have just announced the intention to cooperate and develop efficient overnight charging solutions for electric trucks all over Europe. This collaboration “aims to ensure seamless operations for fleet operators by meeting the growing demand for scalable charging infrastructure in the heavy-duty transport sector”.

E-truck charging solutions: the three most popular scenarios

According to the experts, today’s electric trucks primarily charge in three scenarios, each needing specific infrastructure. The first is destination charging at logistics centers during unloading or loading, where high-power bursts of 150-400kW are required for short idle times of 30 minutes to two hours. Liquid-cooled satellites, delivering a continuous 500 A and reaching 400 kW, are ideal here.

The second is highway charging, aligned with regulatory rest breaks of 30-45 minutes at truck stops. To meet future demands, this scenario will need hub solutions providing over a megawatt of power (MCS), like the ones Ekoenergetyka presented at IAA Transportation 2024.

The third is overnight charging, the most common scenario, where trucks charge for 6-8 hours at depots or public stops with lower power, around 50-150kW. The challenge is to fit this infrastructure into existing parking areas while accommodating multiple trucks, ensuring ease of use, reliability, and weather resistance.

Statements from Ekoenergetyka and bp pulse

“Organizing overnight charging for large e-truck fleets, especially in public parking areas along the TEN-T network, is a significant challenge for the electrification of heavy-duty transport. While charging infrastructure is steadily growing, the current availability remains a challenge for some fleet operators. Together with bp pulse, we are committed to helping to address these gaps by providing efficient, high-power solutions,” said Maciej Wojeński, Co-founder and Member of the Supervisory Board of Ekoenergetyka-Polska S.A. “I am proud of this partnership and confident that together, we will deliver the solutions the market needs to support the transition to electric heavy-duty vehicles.”

Nigel Head, European EV Truck Director, bp pulse, added: “Collaborating with Ekoenergetyka on e-truck overnight charging solutions is another step forward in our plans to help meet the needs of UK and European HGV operators transitioning their fleets to EVs. Developing safe, reliable, space efficient and scalable overnight e-truck solutions will form an important cornerstone of bp’s future e-truck customer and network offer across Europe.”