DAF Trucks has joined HDV Booking, a new consortium working to establish a platform for reserving public charging points for trucks in Europe. The move aims to further increase the availability of fully electric DAF trucks, particularly for long-distance transport.
HDV Booking includes providers of charging facilities, card reader systems, transporters and software developers. It is working on a platform that will enable operators to find and reserve available charging points. It is hoped this will facilitate the most efficient planning and routes for electric vehicles.
Improved planning of loads will help limit waiting times and make longer distances possible, including international routes. The platform aims to be operational throughout Europe in 2026.
Bart Bosmans, DAF’s director of marketing and sales said: “An optimal booking system requires all electric vehicles, as well as charging points and planning software, to be connected to each other. The ability to take factors like traffic congestion and the driver’s rest periods into consideration will lead to more optimal use of both the public charging infrastructure and electric vehicles.”
DAF’s XD Electric and XF Electric have a zero-emission range of up to 500km. This can be increased to 1,000km a day by charging the battery packs during the driver’s break.
“Access to more information on the availability of public charging stations is an important step in increasing the availability of electric trucks for long distance transport,” Bosmans added. “DAF’s decision to team up with HDV Booking underlines our position as a partner in the energy transition. After all, in addition to a full range of electric trucks, we also offer our customers charging stations and specialised advice and training.”
