Engie Vianeo launches in Germany – with focus on truck chargers

French charging network operator Engie Vianeo has announced its planned launch in Germany. Vianeo intends to position itself “with a clear focus on heavy goods vehicles”. However, it will still take some time before the first charging stations go into operation.

With Vianeo, Engie is bringing “a new brand for high-performance and reliable EV charging infrastructure to Germany”, says the French energy company. electrive was able to get an exclusive look at the statement regarding the planned launch in Germany. Across Europe, the Engie subsidiary operates around 9,000 charging points – including 800 on French motorways and around 5,000 in Belgium. By 2030, this figure is set to rise to 25,000 charging points, 1,500 of which will be specifically for commercial vehicles along European corridors.

The company does not wish to disclose exactly how many charging points Vianeo is planning in Germany – instead referring to the 1,500 commercial vehicle charging points planned across Europe. “The focus of our offering will be in Germany,” said Jan-Niklas Ellerich, Head of Business Development & Sales Heavy-Duty Charging at Engie Deutschland GmbH.

That also means that Vianeo’s German charging hubs will mainly be located along the TEN-T corridors in Germany. The company has yet to name specific sites; currently, more than 50 projects are in an early planning phase. Ground-breaking works at the first site are expected to commence during the third quarter of 2025.

The commissioning of the first charging hubs in Germany – and thus, from the customer’s perspective, the actual market launch – is planned for late in the third quarter of 2026 or in the fourth quarter of next year. It will thus still take some time before an electric HGV charges at a Vianeo station in Germany. At this early stage prior to commissioning, it is not yet known what the kWh will cost – and a look abroad is of little help given differing electricity prices and levies.

When building its own charging network in Germany, Engie Vianeo aims to benefit from experiences gained in other markets. For example, the company has already implemented a fast-charging network for electric trucks along the Lyon–Paris axis – five stations, each offering 480 kW charging power, are designed to recharge 300 kilometres of range in 45 minutes. The corridor, realised together with motorway operator APRR, is expected to help avoid 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

In addition, Vianeo is developing a 900-kilometre corridor from Avignon to Lille as part of the European ECTN Alliance – the first station has already opened in Sommesous. And in Dardilly, within the Lyon metropolitan area, Engie Vianeo operates a multi-energy station combining bio-CNG refuelling facilities with 400 kW fast chargers usable by light commercial vehicles through to 44-tonne articulated trucks.

“The experience from France shows: a high-performance, reliable and transparent charging network is the key to acceptance among hauliers and drivers,” the company states. “Engie Vianeo brings not only technology, but also a well-considered operational concept to the table.”

French energy group Engie established Engie Vianeo in 2023 as a subsidiary specialising in charging solutions for electric vehicles. The focus is primarily on building and operating fast-charging infrastructure for electric cars as well as electric vans and trucks. While the company intends to concentrate on the commercial vehicle sector in Germany, this is different in France: there, Vianeo is also building charging hubs in shopping centre car parks targeting private customers.

Source: Information per e-mail (in German)