IRU and Transport & Environment (T&E) are calling on the European Commission to establish a supportive EU framework for semi-private charging as part of the upcoming review of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).
In a joint letter to Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, IRU and T&E stress the need for a complete charging ecosystem combining public, private depot and semi-private infrastructure. The aim is to unlock additional charging capacity for zero-emission trucks, particularly benefiting small and medium-sized transport operators.
While public charging remains essential for journeys beyond operators’ home bases, depot charging will cover a substantial share of their energy needs. Semi-private charging can bridge the gap between fully private and publicly accessible infrastructure by creating incentives for companies to voluntarily open part of their charging capacity at depots, warehouses and logistics hubs to other transport operators.
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “A successful transition to zero-emission trucks requires a complete charging ecosystem. Semi-private charging offers an opportunity to maximise the use of existing and future infrastructure, while expanding access for smaller operators without their own charging facilities and for companies needing to charge where they conduct business.”
T&E Fleets and Freight Director Stef Cornelis said, “Accelerating shared depot charging in Europe brings many benefits. Trucking companies can charge at lower prices without having to make any major upfront investment. We use our grid capacity more efficiently and companies can recuperate their investments into the infrastructure faster. Now we need a European framework with minimum standards so barriers can be removed, financing channelled and rollouts accelerated.”
The organisations call for semi-private charging to be recognised as a distinct category under AFIR, supported by a coherent EU enabling framework to be implemented by Member States.
Such a framework should facilitate permitting and grid connections, integrate depot and semi-private charging into national infrastructure and energy planning, and enable access to appropriate EU and national funding and State aid support.
Crucially, participation must remain voluntary, with simple and proportionate conditions that allow infrastructure owners to retain control over access and prioritise their own operations, without automatically being treated as public charging operators or electricity suppliers.
“The objective is not to impose new obligations on transport operators, but to create the right conditions and incentives for them to invest and voluntarily share charging capacity,” said Raluca Marian. “With the right EU framework and national support, semi-private charging can become an important part of the transition to zero-emission road transport.”
The joint letter also calls for supportive guidance on renewable electricity and related funding mechanisms.