The Flemish government has announced financial support for 19 projects aimed at developing charging infrastructure for heavy goods vehicles. This initiative, launched by the Department of Mobility and Public Works, will provide a total of €3 million to improve (semi) public charging systems, following a call for innovative proposals in April 2024.
“The electrification of heavy goods vehicles has accelerated in the past year. The switch to zero-emission transport or electric trucks requires a substantial investment from companies. That is why we are lowering the threshold for transporters and charging infrastructure operators who invest in innovative charging infrastructure solutions with this call for projects,” said Stéphane Jacobs, Transition Manager for Electrification.
The selected projects primarily focus on public charging infrastructure along motorways managed by Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and semi-public systems linked to local energy generation, storage, and load balancing. Out of the 19 approved projects, six were noted for their innovative approaches and two for software support, collectively resulting in 1,390 charging equivalents (CPE).
This effort aligns with Flanders’ broader strategy to promote the greening of the vehicle fleet and shift freight transport towards more sustainable modes like water and rail. The Flemish government has previously launched similar calls for projects, with the first in early 2023, focusing on both stand-alone private and (semi-)public charging systems. The current call, however, exclusively targets electric trucks and includes innovative charging infrastructure projects like battery swap systems.
“It is clear that there will also be a great need for additional support for innovations and necessary software developments and links in the coming years. For example, it is striking that transporters are not yet considering purchasing multiple brands when purchasing electric trucks,” Jacobs added.
