On 18 and 19 May, the first edition of the TruckZero Test Event took place at the ElaadNL Testlab. Together with Rijkswaterstaat, ElaadNL brought together manufacturers of electric trucks and charging stations to test different combinations in practice.
Over the course of two days, 36 different combinations of electric trucks and charging stations were tested, focusing on interoperability, charging protocols and smart charging. The results show that regular charging works well, while there is still room for improvement in smart charging and the support of new communication protocols.
All 36 tested combinations successfully started a regular charging session. In every case, the charging cable was correctly locked, and power delivery began within an average of 27 seconds after authorization. This demonstrates that electric trucks and charging stations from different manufacturers work well together during regular charging.
However, the maximum charging power was not always achieved. This was partly due to the maximum charging current and the vehicle’s battery voltage. In addition, users could not see whether the vehicle, the charging station or the available grid capacity was limiting the charging power.
During the event, various fluctuating charging profiles were tested. In 30 out of 36 combinations, the charging profile was successfully followed without any issues. In six combinations, challenges occurred, with charging sessions stopping unexpectedly or failing to resume after a pause.
There is also room for improvement in delayed charging. Two of the four tested charging stations did not support delaying the start of a charging session. However, all tested charging stations supported paused charging.
These results highlight the importance of further developing smart charging capabilities. Especially for electric trucks, which often require large amounts of energy, the ability to flexibly adjust charging power can help make better use of the available grid capacity.
All tested vehicles and charging stations supported the DIN 70121 and ISO 15118-2 communication protocols. However, support for the newer ISO 15118-20 standard remained limited. Only one charging station supported this protocol, while none of the tested vehicles did.
The results confirm the value of joint testing. By bringing manufacturers of electric trucks and charging stations together in an independent testing environment, valuable insights are gained into how different systems interact in practice and where improvements are needed.
Through TruckZero, Rijkswaterstaat and ElaadNL contribute to the further development of reliable charging infrastructure for electric freight transport. The insights gained help manufacturers improve their products and support the continued electrification of the logistics sector.
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