Episode 22: The Catalyst Series | Milence: Enabling Electric Road Freight at Scale

Episode 22: The Catalyst Series | Milence: Enabling Electric Road Freight at Scale

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In this episode of Smart Freight Conversations, we speak with Roel Vissers, Chief Commercial Officer of Milence, about accelerating electric road freight across Europe.

Milence — a joint venture between Volvo Group, TRATON Group and Daimler Truck — was created to address one of the key barriers to freight electrification: the lack of dedicated heavy-duty charging infrastructure.

With 33 charging hubs already operational and further expansion planned this year, Milence is building the backbone of Europe’s electric truck network.

Breaking the Infrastructure Barrier
Electric truck adoption remains at an early stage. While policy targets are ambitious, scaling depends on more than regulation.
Key challenges discussed in the episode include:
  • Limited electric truck variants across all logistics use cases
  • Grid capacity and permitting delays
  • Public vs. depot charging economics
  • Total Cost of Ownership considerations
  • Residual value risk of electric trucks
Public Charging and Utilization
A common perception is that public charging is significantly more expensive than depot charging. However, as utilization increases, public charging economics can become competitive.

High-quality corridor infrastructure is essential to enable long-haul electric freight operations across Europe.

Grid Constraints and Renewable Energy
Grid availability remains a major bottleneck for both depot and public charging.
Milence is addressing this through:
  • Strategic site selection
  • Battery storage integration
  • Microgrid solutions
  • Direct renewable energy connections
Transparent emissions accounting is also critical. Frameworks such as the GLEC Framework support consistent reporting and Scope 3 alignment across the freight ecosystem .

What Needs to Happen Next?
To accelerate electric road freight at scale, three priorities stand out:
  • Reducing residual value risk for electric trucks
  • De-risking early infrastructure investments
  • Shortening permitting and grid connection timelines
Electric freight is still in its early stages, but confidence is growing. As infrastructure expands and fleets gain operational experience, adoption is expected to accelerate.
Collaboration across OEMs, charge point operators, shippers, carriers and policymakers will determine how quickly Europe can scale zero-emission logistics.

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