Milence successfully tests megawatt charging

Whenever the truck charging provider Milence announced a new charging park this past year, it said it would first install CCS fast-chargers, while the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) would be retrofitted later. The company has now successfully tested the latter.

Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, Traton and the Volvo Group, has teamed up with hardware manufacturer Power Electronics. The test, in which a charging capacity of 1,100 kilowatts or 1.1 megawatts was achieved, represents a significant milestone in the development of charging technology for electric trucks. Previously, MAN and the Technical University of Munich charged an electric truck with over one megawatt of power as part of the NEFTON research project, and ABB E-mobility and MAN demonstrated megawatt charging in March.

The latest test by Milence and Power Electronics, conducted with a prototype Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, demonstrates the technology’s potential “to dramatically reduce charging times, making electric trucks more practical and efficient for long-haul transport,” Milence says. According to the joint venture, the system could in fact reduce charging times “by around 90%, allowing batteries to be charged in around 30 minutes.”

“We are very pleased to have partnered with Power Electronics and to be working together on pioneering MCS technology in Europe,” says Milence CEO Anja van Niersen. “These first test results show that we are well on the way to achieving our joint goal.”

“Our MCS is here to redefine the future of electric mobility,” adds David Salvo, CEO of Power Electronics. “We have designed a product that offers an effective solution for heavy electric vehicle users, and thanks to our partnership with Milence, it will have a wide reach across Europe.”

The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is the new standard for high-performance charging, tailored to the requirements of the growing market for electric trucks. is designed for a charging voltage of up to 1,250 volts and a current of 3,000 amps, which theoretically corresponds to a charging capacity of up to 3.75 megawatts. By comparison, today’s charging stations with the CCS standard (Combined Charging System) can be used by cars and commercial vehicles and offer a maximum charging capacity of 400 kW at 500 amps. Unlike with electric cars, the position of the charging port on the vehicles is standardised for the MCS. The charging port will be on the left-hand side of the vehicle, in an area between two and 4.80 metres behind the bumper. It should be located there at approximately hip height. This standardised position is intended to simplify the installation of the charging parks. CharIN has already shown the first charging system layouts.

Milence was founded in July 2022 and is building a charging network for all battery-electric trucks and long-distance buses, regardless of the vehicle brand. The goal is to set up at least 1,700 high-pHPC chargers across Europe by 2027.

milence.com