The electrification of Europe’s heavy‑duty transport sector has taken a decisive step forward. Invest International, together with a consortium of public and private financial partners, is supporting the expansion of Milence’s pan‑European electric truck charging network through a €25 million loan facility. Milence, a joint venture between Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP and Volvo Group, is dedicated to accelerating the transition to fossil‑free road transport by building Europe’s largest public charging network for heavy‑duty electric vehicles.
The financing forms part of a broader €120 million investment package, developed in close cooperation with Invest‑NL and backed by a guarantee from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund. The consortium also includes Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management, Íslandsbanki and Universal Investment, which together provide €70 million in additional capital.
Consortium approach to accelerate scale
The transaction reflects a co‑creation and consortium‑based approach, combining public mission‑driven capital with private institutional investors to address a well‑known market gap: the lack of reliable, high‑capacity charging infrastructure for electric trucks.
Invest International and Invest‑NL each contribute €25 million, using their balance sheets to take early‑stage risk and help crowd in private investors. The InvestEU guarantee further strengthens the structure by improving risk‑return profiles and enabling long‑term infrastructure financing.
“This investment reflects Invest International’s role in mobilising capital where public interests and private markets meet.“
The facility is designed to be catalytic, enabling Milence to scale rapidly and further stimulate Milence’s access to the capital market for future growth. This is a key prerequisite for deploying infrastructure at the pace required for Europe’s climate and mobility ambitions.
Strategic alignment
For Invest International, the project aligns with its mandate to invest where long‑term resilience, strategic infrastructure and the energy transition intersect, including along key Dutch and European trade corridors.
Jeroen Plag, Chief Investment Officer at Invest International: “The electrification of road freight in Europe is gaining strong market momentum. Progress at scale now depends less on vehicle economics and more on the timely availability of reliable, extensive charging infrastructure that can grow with the market. Milence is addressing a structural gap in Europe’s transport system that markets have been slow to resolve on their own. This investment reflects Invest International’s role in mobilising capital where public interests and private markets meet.”
Europe’s largest public truck charging network
Milence currently operates 34 charging hubs across eight European countries, making it the largest public charging network dedicated to heavy‑duty transport in Europe. An additional 16 hubs are already under development, with a total of around 90 hubs expected to be operational by the end of 2028. New funding will support:
- Deployment of new charging hubs along key freight corridors
- Expansion of existing sites to meet rising demand
- Rollout of high‑performance Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS), essential for long‑haul electric trucking
This growing footprint is laying the foundation for zero‑emission long‑distance transport and positions Milence as a leading infrastructure provider in the sector.
Enabling zero‑emission road freight
Across Europe, the rollout of truck‑suitable public charging infrastructure is accelerating, with nearly 1,800 charging points now available along major freight routes. However, deployment remains uneven and demand from fleet operators is increasing rapidly as vehicle availability improves and sustainability targets tighten.
By focusing exclusively on heavy‑duty transport, Milence addresses the specific operational needs of logistics companies, offering high‑capacity, reliable charging solutions that support both regional and long‑haul operations. Its hubs are strategically located along major transport routes and designed for large vehicles, minimizing downtime for fleet operators.
As demand for sustainable logistics intensifies, continued investment in charging infrastructure, supported by targeted financing and efficient permitting, will be critical to enable large‑scale electrification of heavy‑duty transport.
