The charging infrastructure provider Milence opened its first truck charging hub in Germany today at Hermsdorfer Kreuz in eastern Thuringia. One company that was looking forward to this event is Logistik Schmitt from Bietigheim in Baden. The family-owned company, which specializes in warehousing and transport services, plans to regularly charge two battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 long-haul trucks at the newly built site of Milence, a joint venture between Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP and Volvo Group, from spring 2025.

On behalf of Daimler Buses, Logistik Schmitt is currently operating two Mercedes-Benz long-distance trucks with conventional diesel engines for shuttle transport on the approximately 480-kilometer route between the Daimler Buses site in Mannheim and a supplier near Leipzig. Once the new eActros 600 vehicles have been delivered next year, the routes will be covered fully electric.

Christian Wilz, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO Germany: “We congratulate our joint venture on the opening of its first charging hub in Germany. We are pleased to see that the development and operation of a public high-performance charging network for heavy-duty long-haul trucks is being decisively advanced by Milence's cross-industry cooperation. The future use of the eActros 600 by Logistik Schmitt shows that battery-electric long-distance transportation is possible.”

Rainer Schmitt, Managing Partner of Logistik Schmitt, explains: “Thanks to the charging points available at the Daimler Buses plant in Mannheim, the eActros 600 can reach their destination near Leipzig without intermediate charging. In order to supply the trucks with new energy for their journey back to southern Germany after successful loading and unloading, the Milence charging hub at Hermsdorfer Kreuz comes just at the right time for us.”

In the coming weeks, Logistik Schmitt intends to gain initial experience with a prototype of the eActros 600, which has already been in practical use at the logistics service provider for some time, before taking delivery of the series vehicles in the new year.

For the charging process, four CCS charging stations with up to 400 kW are available at the new Milence site at Hermsdorfer Kreuz, which can be used by truck fleet operators such as Logistik Schmitt regardless of the vehicle brand. The offer is complemented by amenities such as sanitary facilities.

In addition to the official opening at Hermsdorfer Kreuz, Milence started the operation of another location with two additional CCS charging stations on the A9 in Vockerode in Saxony-Anhalt.

Note for journalists: More information about Milence and the new charging hub in Germany can be found here: https://milence.com/press-release/milence-accelerates-germanys-transition-to-electric-road-transport