An electric charging station for industrial vehicles and buses was established on 21 February 2025 along the Brenner corridor as part of the Milence network. Located in Bagnolo San Vito, in the province of Mantua and 40 kilometres south of Verona, it is the eleventh station of this brand in Europe. Positioned near the A22 and A4 motorways, with a southern connection to the A1, it has the capacity to serve up to 200 vehicles per day.
The facility is equipped with four charging columns and five bays fitted with CCS2 chargers ranging from 300 to 400 kW, capable of fully charging a heavy industrial vehicle in one to one and a half hours. Looking ahead, the infrastructure may be enhanced with high-power megawatt-level charging systems, further reducing charging times. The station also features a dedicated area for drivers, offering rest facilities, showers, a gym, and vending machines.
Milence was established from an alliance formed in 2022 between Volvo Group (which controls Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks), Daimler Truck (Mercedes-Benz Truck), and Traton Group (which controls Scania and MAN) with the aim of developing an electric charging network for lorries across Europe, a crucial factor for the expansion of electric haulage. The company was founded with an initial investment of 500 million euros and, in its initial phase, is focusing on eight countries, including Italy, France, and Germany.
Milence's facilities use CCS (Combined Charging System) technology, delivering power of up to 400 kW, allowing a lorry to be charged in less than an hour. However, a significant breakthrough is expected with the introduction of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), which promises power levels of up to 1,000 kW, further reducing charging times to 30–45 minutes. The implementation of MCS will require infrastructure upgrades, including liquid-cooled cables and more robust connectors, which are currently undergoing European regulatory approval. Milence is collaborating with vehicle manufacturers to ensure cross-compatibility, avoiding the risk of technological fragmentation. This technology necessitates connections to medium-voltage power grids, and Milence is working with energy companies to implement battery storage systems, mitigating demand peaks.
