Workshop Insights: Accelerating Megawatt Charging Systems Deployment for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

On 8 July 2025, ALICE hosted a key stakeholder workshop as part of the Horizon Europe-funded FLEXMCS project, aiming to address critical needs and barriers to the deployment of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) for Battery Electric Heavy-Duty Vehicles (BE-HDVs). The session brought together over 70 representatives from logistics service providers, charging point operators, truck manufacturers, grid operators, infrastructure suppliers, and policy bodies to review survey findings and shape the future of zero-emission road freight. 

The interactive workshop focused on unpacking results from the pan-European FLEXMCS stakeholder survey, which gathered input from over 50 organisations. ALICE, leading Work Package 1, is responsible for identifying user needs, operational constraints, and technology expectations to support the scalable roll-out of megawatt charging across the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors. 

Key themes and findings 

The discussions revealed broad alignment on several strategic priorities, while also highlighting unresolved tensions in policy, technology, and infrastructure planning: 

• Logistics companies pointed to severe space and grid capacity constraints while installing charging infrastructure at their depots, especially in Northern Germany, Italy, Benelux, and Poland. Despite this, 100% of respondents expressed willingness to co-invest in semi-private charging hubs, provided ROI falls within a 3–5-year window. 
• Driver behaviour during charging emerged as a regulatory grey zone. While most agreed that trucks should be moved after charging if rest time remains, there was no consensus on whether drivers would remain in the vehicle during overnight charging- raising questions about how to reconcile MCS with rest time legislation. 
• Charging Point Operators (CPOs) face mounting challenges in securing land, permits, and grid access. Most target 1–2 MW per site in the short term, but participants questioned whether this capacity would suffice by 2030, calling for far more ambitious build-out targets. 
• Infrastructure and OEM perspectives suggest that while most truck manufacturers plan to offer MCS-compatible vehicles by 2026, retrofitting CCS trucks remains unlikely due to cost and safety constraints. MCS deployment will also require adjustments to thermal systems and battery architecture. 
• Distribution and Transmission System Operators (DSOs/TSOs) unanimously reported grid capacity constraints, citing long connection times and coordination challenges. While collaboration with CPOs is increasing, standardised grid access procedures remain lacking. 
• Policy and association representatives endorsed anticipatory grid investments and public-private forums but expressed differing views on timelines for the electrification of HDV transport. Many advocated for new EU incentives, regulatory clarity, and cross-sectoral investment frameworks. 

A call for coordinated action 

As noted during the workshop, MCS deployment is not solely a technical challenge, it is a systemic one. Logistics operators, OEMs, energy providers, and public authorities must act in concert to align charging infrastructure with vehicle readiness, business models, and evolving regulation. 

The workshop reinforced that megawatt charging will play a decisive role in enabling long-haul zero-emission freight. However, if the transition is to succeed, the sector must address grid bottlenecks, regulatory uncertainty, and underdeveloped charging business models. 

The FLEXMCS project, alongside its sister project MACBETH, will continue to map stakeholder requirements, inform EU policy dialogue, and support project-driven innovation. Participants are encouraged to remain engaged through future surveys, thematic workshops, and collaboration opportunities hosted by ALICE. 

The full workshop report, including sector-specific insights and speaker interventions, was made available to survey respondents.