Case Study Details - Future of Power Systems

Megawatt-scale EV charging is an ultra-high-power direct-current charging approach designed for applications with high energy demand and limited charging windows, particularly heavy-duty road transport. It extends fast-charging capability beyond passenger vehicles toward charging systems capable of supporting trucks, coaches and other high-utilization fleets operating on commercial schedules.

Unlike earlier fast-charging deployment, which largely focused on increasing station density and incremental charging power for passenger EVs, megawatt-scale charging introduces significantly larger and more concentrated electricity demand at individual sites. This increases the importance of grid connection capacity, managed charging strategies, site design and operational coordination between charging operators and power-system stakeholders.

The approach can help reduce charging downtime for commercial fleets by enabling substantial energy replenishment during operational stops such as driver breaks, loading periods or scheduled route pauses. However, as charging power increases, infrastructure constraints increasingly shift from the vehicle to the local electricity system, including network connection capacity, peak-load management and local congestion risks. As a result, megawatt-scale charging often requires coordinated load management, smart charging controls and, in some cases, on-site storage or other flexibility measures to reduce impacts on the grid.

Main outcomes of the solution

Affordability: Utilities and regulators can reduce total system cost by treating megawatt charging as a managed load, limiting avoidable network reinforcement through smart scheduling, strategic siting and cost-effective on-site measures where needed.
Reliability & Flexibility: System operators can keep supply secure as high-power charging scales by coordinating when and where charging happens, reducing local congestion risks and using controlled charging to better align demand with renewable output and other system needs.
Institutional Efficiency & Transparency: Clear market signals, data sharing and aligned standards can make high-power charging faster to connect and easier to plan, improving permitting, investment confidence and predictable operation across regions.

Key implementation and scaling factors

Managed charging as default operating mode so megawatt sites cap peaks, stagger sessions and avoid turning high-power charging into permanent local peak load.
Grid capacity as a key driver for siting and connection design so developers avoid constrained nodes and reduce the risk of long delays or expensive reinforcement.
Time-based tariffs and data sharing so charging shifts to system-friendly hours and planners can forecast and coordinate high-power demand.
On-site batteries and/or on-site generation where grids are tight to reduce peak draw and smooth impacts on local networks.
Interoperable standards and proven high-power hardware so equipment works across brands and sustains megawatt operation safely and consistently.

Case study

German Federal Ministry of Transport, the EU, Fraunhofer ISI (2025), Germany

Germany’s HoLa project – High-performance charging for long-haul trucking – opened the country’s first public Megawatt Charging System for battery-electric trucks at the Lipperland Süd service station on the A2 motorway in September 2025. The project is coordinated by Fraunhofer ISI and P3 Group, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and the European Union, and delivered through a 13-partner consortium including vehicle manufacturers, charging companies, grid operators, motorway infrastructure and research partners.

The site uses the Megawatt Charging System standard and can deliver up to 1.2 megawatts of charging power. HoLa is installing megawatt charging points at four highway sites to test vehicle-charger interoperability, grid integration, site selection, economics and user acceptance under real-world freight conditions. Fraunhofer ISI reports that the system can add hundreds of kilometres of truck range in 30–45 minutes, making charging more compatible with driver break periods and supporting the operational case for battery-electric long-haul trucking.

References: