On 23 May 2025, the Bolzano Sud service station on the A22 motorway became home to Italy’s first high-power charging station for industrial vehicles, featuring 1 MW charging points. The facility is the result of a partnership between motorway operator Autostrada del Brennero and Alpitronic. At the heart of the station is a power unit made up of eight modules supplying two dispensers. Three charging bays are currently in operation: the first is equipped with a Ccs2 connector delivering up to 600 kW and the innovative Mcs (megawatt charging system) connector offering 1,000 kW, while the second bay provides two Ccs2 outputs of 600 kW each.
This setup allows for the simultaneous high-power charging of three vehicles, making it possible to recharge a 500 kWh battery in approximately thirty minutes—coinciding with the mandatory rest period required after four and a half hours of driving. “Charging is finally keeping pace with the operational rhythms of heavy transport,” noted Philipp Senoner, CEO of Alpitronic. For the time being, access to the station will be managed using a dedicated card issued by Autostrada del Brennero to help monitor the service during its initial phase.
The site has been designed with future expansion in mind. The transformer installed by Autostrada del Brennero has a capacity of 2,000 kVA, enabling the eventual activation of a second 1 MW Mcs system, which would effectively double the station’s overall capacity. In the near future, the infrastructure will also be upgraded by Avl Italia with the addition of an energy storage system and a digital monitoring platform named Avl Atene. This system will enhance the plant’s stability and efficiency, allowing it to handle peak loads, ensure consistent delivery and integrate energy from renewable sources.
Autostrada del Brennero’s technical director general, Carlo Costa, explained that “we have already delivered over 820,000 kWh in 2024 through the fifteen stations along our route. But the future lies in megawatts: it demands vision, planning and cutting-edge technology.” According to data from E-Motus as of 31 December 2024, Italy has 64,391 charging points, but only 6% offer power outputs above 150 kW.
