How fast can an electric truck charge?

The Megawatt Charging System allows up to 1,250 V and 3,000 A; trucks in series production charge at up to about 1,000 kW, from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes.

Explained in

Truck charging · Stop 04What is the Megawatt Charging System?Up to 1,250 volts and 3,000 amperes through one connector: the standards behind megawatt charging, what they define, and where trucks can use it today.

In the EU, more than 4,000 public charging points are suitable for trucks. About 30% of them are exclusively for trucks; nearly all of those are faster than 150 kW, and over two thirds charge at between 350 kW and 1 MW. Over 40 chargers faster than 1 MW have been identified. Trucks can also use CCS chargers built mainly for cars, where the site allows them to manoeuvre and park. With charging power of up to 1,000 kW, one long-haul truck charges from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes, based on its manufacturer's simulations.

From “Where trucks can use it”, stop 04

Terms

  1. Combo 2The DC connector of the combined charging system: the Type 2 shape with two DC pins below, required at public DC points in the EU.
  2. Megawatt Charging SystemA system of standards for DC charging of heavy vehicles at megawatt power: the connector (IEC TS 63379), the charging equipment (IEC 61851-23-3) and the communication (ISO 15118-10 and -20).
  1. Can trucks charge during the driver's break?Yes. After 4.5 hours of driving, the driver must take at least 45 minutes of break; planned at a megawatt charger, it becomes the charging stop.
  2. What does AFIR require for truck charging?Pools for heavy vehicles along the TEN-T network: 1,400 kW along 15% by 2025, 2,800 kW on the core network along 50% by 2027, and 3,600 kW every 60 km by 2030, plus parking areas and urban nodes.
  1. IEA: Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle charging. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/electric-vehicle-charging-chap-6-and-10. Checked 09 Oct 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
  2. IEA: Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle charging. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/electric-vehicle-charging-chap-6-and-10. Checked 09 Oct 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
  3. Daimler Truck: Megawatt charging in long-haul endurance test: Mercedes-Benz Trucks sends eActros 600 from Germany to Sweden, press release of 20 January 2026. https://www.daimlertruck.com/en/newsroom/pressrelease/megawatt-charging-in-long-haul-endurance-test-mercedes-benz-trucks-sends-eactros-600-from-germany-to-sweden-53327018. Checked 09 Oct 2026.