German firm Autel Europe and Icelandic chargepoint operator (CPO) ON Power have successfully deployed Megawatt-level charging along a key freight route in Iceland.
It is the first commercial deployment of Autel’s MaxiCharger Megawatt Charging System (MCS) in Europe. The now-operational MCS can currently deliver up to 640kW of direct current (DC) charging power, with a modular platform engineered to scale up to 1,2MW and 1,500A. Typically, ultra-rapid charging is anything with capacity over 150kW.
It has been installed at a key logistics point on Iceland’s national Ring Road, Digranesgata 4A in Borgarnes, positioning it to meet demand from electric buses, trucks and long-haul freight corridors.
Described by VP of sales and marketing at Autel Europe, Andreas Lastei, as “one of the most advanced and resilient MCS systems in Europe”, the platform was engineered for extreme environments to ensure it would operate reliably in Iceland’s sub-zero temperatures and other challenging climate conditions.
The system is developed in line with international standards such as IEC 61851 and ISO 15118, ensuring interoperability.
Jóhann Ingi Magnússon, head of sales and customer service at ON Power, said: “Our goal is to lead the energy transition and build infrastructure that supports emerging technologies—even before they reach mainstream use in Iceland.”
Despite a slow uptake of high-power charging so far, new EU regulations targeting heavy-duty vehicle emissions, and new investment in clean transport corridors in the bloc, mean the process will likely be a crucial technology enabler.
EU charging deployment is due to increase as a result of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which mandates the installation of fast-charging stations for cars and vans of at least 150kW every 60km along the TEN-T core road network by 2025. Each has minimum total power output of 400kW, up to 600kW by end of 2027.
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Global EV Outlook, in 2024 the number of ultra-fast chargers, with power ratings of 150kW and above, grew by about 50% in 2024 and now accounts for nearly 10% of all public fast chargers.
At the start of June, the European Commission launched a €10 million (£8.4 million) project to use real-life piloting to establish a comprehensive European charging network for electric trucks.
Dubbed MACBETH (Multipoint megAwatt Charging for Battery Electric Truck Hubs), the innovation initiative is led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and brings together a consortium of 19 European companies, universities and research centres to address the challenges preventing the effective rollout of sustainable heavy-duty transport.
