ALICE insight: EU Ministers commit to faster truck recharging deployment

On 16 September 2025, European Union transport ministers endorsed the Ministerial Declaration on the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative (CTCI), marking an important step in the deployment of zero-emission truck recharging infrastructure across Europe’s freight corridors. 

The declaration, signed by nine Member States, establishes a joint political commitment to accelerate the rollout of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) and other heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) recharging infrastructure along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean and North Sea-Baltic TEN-T corridors. It directly addresses persistent barriers to deployment, including lengthy permitting processes, limited site availability, fragmented funding, and delays in grid connection. 

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas presented the initiative in Brussels, highlighting its role in delivering the EU’s climate goals and ensuring competitiveness for the transport and logistics sector. By 2030, one in three new lorries is expected to be zero-emission, with over 400,000 zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles projected to be on the road. Ensuring adequate charging capacity along Europe’s core transport network is therefore a critical enabler for the transition. 

A coordinated European approach 

The declaration sets out commitments to: 

• Treat truck recharging infrastructure as a strategic priority in national and EU transport planning. 
• Improve cooperation between grid operators and charge point operators to anticipate demand and accelerate connections. 
• Fast-track AFIF-funded projects, simplify permitting, and enhance transparency of grid hosting capacity. 
• Support innovative solutions such as battery storage, renewable integration, and flexible contracts. 
• Develop a roadmap by March 2026, providing a toolbox of measures and best practices for seamless zero-emission corridors. 

ALICE perspective

ALICE actively contributed to the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative Industry Stakeholder Dialogue (3 September 2025), where Stefanie van Damme, Deputy Programme Manager, highlighted the perspective of logistics users and shippers as primary customers of truck charging infrastructure. She stressed the need for a holistic approach that goes beyond infrastructure to include vehicles, grid integration, freight flows, and new logistics models. Following this consultation, ALICE also shared with DG Move representatives its position and key recommendation as results of the consultation process with its members and experience gained through EU-funded R&I projects.The initiative also directly links to ALICE’s work in the AEVETO Cluster projects like ZEFES, FLEXMCS and MACBETH, where industry and research partners are co-creating real-world charging scenarios for long-distance logistics electrification across Europe. 

Next steps 

The European Commission, together with Member States and stakeholders, will develop the CTCI roadmap in the coming months. The initiative will also be highlighted at the ALICE Innovation Summit 2025,  during the session “The backbone of the transition: Powering corridors for zero-emission trucks”. 

With political commitment now in place, the focus shifts to implementation: delivering infrastructure that supports Europe’s transition to clean, competitive, and resilient road freight transport. 

More on the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative: EU Ministers commit to faster truck recharging deployment – European Commission