Overcoming barriers for scalable Megawatt Charging Solutions in Europe – Webinar Summary

Tuesday, June 10th, 2025

On 30 May 2025, ALICE, together with the AEVETO Cluster and the 2Zero Partnership, ALICE hosted a high-level webinar titled “Charging ahead: Overcoming barriers for scalable Megawatt Charging Solutions in Europe.” The session focused on the critical role of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) in decarbonising heavy-duty road transport and overcoming the operational challenges of long-haul logistics and the 2 main R&I projects working on the subject: FLEXMCS and MACBETH. (Webinar speakers and agenda)

The transition to zero-emission freight transport is gaining momentum, but to fully decarbonise heavy-duty road transport, a reliable and scalable charging infrastructure is essential. This was the central theme of ALICE’s webinar on MCS, which brought together European experts to explore practical pathways toward implementation.

A key enabler of long-haul electrification

MCS technology promises to charge up to 80% of a battery electric truck within 30 minutes – but is it perceived as a game changer by the logistics industry?

The webinar started with the following question: “In your opinion, how important are Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) or high-power charging for the successful electrification of road transport?”

Most of the audience (48%) answered that yes, MCS play a significant role, but other factors (e.g. battery tech, policy, grid integration) are equally or more influential. Moreover, the second choice (30%) was that MCS are critical to enabling flexible, scalable, and efficient charging infrastructure.

These answers reflect that uncertainty around high-power and Megawatt chargers, as the lack of reliable, fast charging infrastructure is seen as one of the major barriers hindering full electrification of long-haul heavy-duty transport.

Insights from European policy and funding for infrastructure and R&I

Rein Jüriado (European Commission) outlined policy frameworks supporting HDV charging infrastructure, including the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), and the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative. He emphasised the importance of coordinated deployment and funding allocation to unlock the full potential of MCS.

Lucie Beaumel (EGVIAfor2Zero) provided an overview of the 2Zero Partnership’s ongoing research and innovation activities. The partnership backs a portfolio of projects aimed at advancing battery electric vehicle (BEV) technologies and integrating them into the logistics sector.

Project spotlights: FLEXMCS and MACBETH

Omar Hegazy (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) presented the FLEXMCS project, which is collecting stakeholder insights to shape pilot activities and assess user expectations for MCS deployment. This includes technical testing, digital tool development, and policy recommendations.

Yancho Todorov (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) introduced MACBETH, which focuses on booking and queuing systems to enhance charger availability. The project seeks to mitigate the risks truck operators face in transitioning to battery electric trucks (BETs) by ensuring infrastructure reliability and operational predictability.

Stakeholder dialogue and interactive exchange

Alice Scotti (ALICE) facilitated a dynamic discussion on pain points and stakeholder needs for the exploitation of MCS. Key topics included:

Reliability of booking systems and real-time charger availability
Ensuring interoperability and compatibility across MCS infrastructure
Financial risks and operational concerns for fleet operators
The need for clear standards, permitting processes, and coordinated rollout

Participants also shared national experiences (e.g. the MegaCharge project in Norway) and expressed interest in deeper collaboration through future workshops. ALICE and its partners will follow up with surveys, bilateral interviews, and co-creation sessions to refine recommendations and accelerate deployment.

Looking ahead – participate in next steps

In his closing remarks, Fernando Liesa (ALICE) reiterated the urgency of building a robust ecosystem around road transport electrification and strongly recommended stakeholders to gain knowledge and competence on how to run road transport operations with electric vehicles. More and more, electric trucks will be gaining competitiveness to diesel and those ones mastering operations with electric trucks will have an important competitive advantage. Fernando encouraged participants to complete the FLEXMCS survey and engage in follow-up activities. The insights gathered will directly feed into policy dialogues and upcoming pilot implementations.

Charging into the future: Stakeholder perspectives on the deployment of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) – FLEXMCS survey – ALICE Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe

Key Takeaways – Overcoming Barriers for Scalable Megawatt Charging Solutions in Europe

30 May 2025 | Hosted by ALICE, AEVETO Cluster, and the 2Zero Partnership

Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) are a cornerstone of long-haul HDV electrification, but not the only factor. Stakeholders highlighted the equal importance of advancements in battery technology, policy, grid capacity and business models besides the lack of infrastructure. 48% of participants acknowledged MCS as key, yet part of a broader ecosystem.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) remains the most limiting factor. In previous and current stakeholder engagement efforts, TCO and operational model misalignment (e.g. range, downtime, payload) consistently emerged as top concerns for logistics operators. Without compensating factors like electricity price competitiveness and operational incentives, adoption is slow.
Grid readiness and permitting timelines are still major bottlenecks. High-power charging infrastructure requires substantial grid upgrades and faces delays due to fragmented permitting frameworks across regions and countries.
Public-private funding is ramping up through EU programmes like AFIF and AFIR. The European Commission is actively supporting infrastructure deployment through regulatory targets (AFIR), corridor initiatives, and financing schemes like AFIF (€1.3B already allocated, with new calls scheduled for 11 June 2025 and 4 March 2026). The Clean Transport Corridor Initiative was presented focusing mainly on supporting investment in new infrastructure where it is most needed.
The 2Zero Partnership is aligning innovation across projects. With 125 members and €615M in funding, 2Zero is fostering synergies across HDV, urban logistics and charging R&I. Projects like FLEXMCS and MACBETH are among 9 funded initiatives specifically targeting MCS deployment challenges.
FLEXMCS and MACBETH are developing and testing practical solutions. From user-centric booking platforms and route planning tools, to site layout optimization and location planning software, both projects are using pilot sites (e.g. Karlsruhe, Belgium) to validate technologies in real-world conditions.
Stakeholder engagement is central to both projects. Through surveys, interviews and co-creation workshops, ALICE and partners are gathering multi-stakeholder input on pain points such as booking reliability, interoperability, policy gaps and investment risk.
Building operational knowledge will drive competitive advantage. As electric trucks approach parity with diesel, those able to master their deployment and operations will be ahead. Participants were encouraged to complete the open survey to join the follow-up FLEXMCS workshop on 8 July 2025.

Back to overview