The European Commission has approved more than €600 million in funding for 70 projects aimed at accelerating the roll-out of alternative-fuel infrastructure across the EU. The support, granted under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), will finance the deployment of battery-electric and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure along the TEN-T network, as well as upgrades to energy systems that enable the transition to low- and zero-emission transport.
While the programme covers all transport modes — including maritime, aviation and public transport — a substantial share of this funding round is directed at road-freight infrastructure, with a strong focus on heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) charging, megawatt-class (MCS) systems, and hydrogen refuelling stations for long-distance trucking.
The new awards come at a pivotal moment. From 2025, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) requires Member States to ensure minimum coverage of HDV-capable charging sites on key sections of the TEN-T network. AFIR sets out detailed obligations, including maximum distances between charging hubs and mandatory power levels. The AFIF grants are therefore intended to help Member States reach compliance while enabling private operators to scale up commercially viable long-haul charging networks.
The Commission’s newly funded projects directly address two of the main barriers identified by operators:
(1) the scarcity of high-power charging locations able to support long-distance haulage, and
(2) the lack of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations sized for heavy trucks.
In practical terms, this means:
- Expansion of ≥350 kW HDV charging pools at motorway service areas and logistics hubs
- Introduction of the first megawatt-class (MCS-ready) chargers, designed to reduce truck charging times to under 45 minutes
- Deployment of hydrogen stations capable of delivering 1 tonne/day or more, with 350 and 700 bar dispensers for heavy vehicles
- Multi-country corridors that provide consistent, interoperable infrastructure across borders
Many of the selected projects are coordinated by energy companies, charging-network operators and industrial consortia. Several focus explicitly on cross-border connectivity, reflecting the nature of international freight flows: trucks travelling from Germany to France and Spain, from Poland to Hungary, or along transit corridors connecting Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.
In total, the Commission expects the 70 projects to deliver:
- Over 2,000 new HDV charging points, including the first generation of MCS-compatible stations
- Approximately 38 new hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy- and light-duty vehicles
- Significant additional 150–350 kW capacity supporting lighter commercial fleets
These investments signal a shift from pilot projects to a continent-wide build-out of infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale deployment of battery-electric and hydrogen trucks — an essential requirement as manufacturers begin delivering long-range HDV models in larger numbers from 2025 onward.
Below is an overview of the road-freight-specific projects awarded in seven key markets: Poland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania and Hungary.
Poland: first megawatt-class truck charging and a new hydrogen hub
Poland will gain its first >1 MW truck-charging sites through the HDV-E corridor, a joint Polish–Hungarian project deploying megawatt-compatible HDV chargers at TEN-T locations in both countries.
In addition, the X-Pand COEN corridor adds 13 mixed LDV/HDV charging sites in Poland, including 350 kW chargers suitable for long-haul freight.
Poland will also see the build-out of a 1-tonne-per-day hydrogen refuelling station in Chełm, equipped with 350 and 700 bar dispensers for heavy-duty vehicles.
France: one of the strongest HDV charging expansions in the EU
France receives some of the largest HDV-charging awards in this funding round.
- Charge4Trucks (TotalEnergies): deployment of 76 MW of HDV charging capacity at 19 TEN-T locations, using ≥350 kW units and MCS-ready architecture.
- IZIVIA-Trucks: rollout of 160 HDV charging points across 58 sites on TEN-T corridors and in major logistics nodes.
- DRIVE (ENGIE): multi-country corridor covering France, Germany, Spain and Belgium, with 350 kW–1 MW charging infrastructure.
- ELECTRA & HDV-E: additional high-power charging sites as part of wider EU corridors.
- Z-NET (Zunder): part of a 101-site ultra-fast corridor linking Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium.
Together, these projects form one of Europe’s densest future HDV-charging networks.
Germany: major rollout of MCS-compatible infrastructure
Germany becomes a central hub for megawatt-class truck charging, driven by several large awards:
- BP Europa HDV network: 10 sites, each with six MCS chargers, totalling 60 chargers above 1 MW.
- HERCULES (with the Netherlands): 76 HDV charging pools including 548 × 350 kW chargers along TEN-T.
- DRIVE, ELECTRA, HDV-E and Miles Connect: multi-country projects adding further 350 kW–1 MW charging hubs across German motorway corridors.
This makes Germany one of the earliest adopters of MCS-ready long-haul trucking corridors in Europe.
Italy: expansion of TEN-T fast charging for heavy-duty vehicles
Italy’s road-freight infrastructure upgrades focus on nationwide HDV charging:
- X-Pand GEN: 56 fast chargers, including 50 HDV units on strategic TEN-T sections.
- ELECTRA corridor: adds further 350 kW+ charging capacity at Italian long-distance sites.
These projects support the first phase of Italy’s heavy-duty electrification along north–south and east–west transit routes.
Spain: major hydrogen corridor plus HDV fast charging
Spain receives substantial hydrogen and electric freight infrastructure:
- ACTIVA II: installation of 30 hydrogen refuelling stations, each sized for heavy-duty use, located on Spanish TEN-T corridors.
- GH2Move-VLC (Valencia): 1-tonne/day hydrogen station feeding logistics flows around Valencia, supplied by a 5 MW electrolyser.
- EcoMiles (with Portugal): 94 chargers across 30 sites, including 350 kW HDV chargers.
- DRIVE, ELECTRA, HDV-E and Z-NET: multi-country networks adding numerous freight-relevant charging hubs, particularly on the Mediterranean and Atlantic TEN-T axes.
Spain is one of the few markets receiving simultaneous large-scale H₂ and HDV charging investments.
Romania: high concentration of HDV charging in a cohesion-country market
Romania sees one of the highest densities of HDV charging projects in this call:
- BlueRoute 4E (RO–GR corridor): 8 × 350 kW HDV and 98 × 150 kW LDV chargers across 34 locations.
- Rompetrol network: 15 HDV chargers (350 kW) at 22 strategic sites.
- EVConnect: 60 HDV chargers (350 kW) and additional LDV units at 32 TEN-T locations.
- PAN-E (with Bulgaria): mixed 150–350 kW charging sites along shared TEN-T corridors.
Romania is emerging as a regional HDV-charging hotspot, particularly for transit between Central Europe, the Balkans and the Black Sea.
Hungary: national HDV network and joint MCS deployments
Hungary’s freight-related awards focus exclusively on heavy-duty infrastructure:
- MVM ULTRA IV: installation of 36 × 350 kW HDV chargers at nine TEN-T motorway sites.
- HDV-E (with Poland): deployment of megawatt-class chargers as part of the PL–HU cross-border corridor.
These projects strengthen Hungary’s position on key north–south and east–west freight routes.
Road-freight impact across the seven markets
Across the seven countries, the AFIF-funded projects will add:
- Thousands of kilometres of TEN-T compliant HDV fast-charging coverage
- The first large-scale megawatt-class truck charging corridors (notably in Germany, France, Poland and Hungary)
- Dozens of heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling stations, particularly in Spain and Poland
- A rapid expansion of 350–400 kW charging infrastructure supporting the first wave of long-haul electric trucks
For hauliers, the new infrastructure will enable long-distance EV truck operations on major cross-border routes linking Germany–France–Spain, Germany–Italy, Poland–Hungary, and Romania–Bulgaria–Greece, closing gaps that previously limited electric HDV deployment.
