Logistics real estate can boost sustainability in the transportation sector

Charging stations for electrically powered vehicles are an increasingly important topic for logistics. The Federal Ministry of Transport’s “National Charging Infrastructure Control Center” is working on setting up a corresponding network, but more and more energy suppliers and freight forwarders are taking the reins themselves when it comes to e-trucks – and this is having an impact on the construction of new logistics properties and the expansion of existing ones.

By 2030, there should be around 300 truck charging stations along freeways in Germany, and even more than 2,000 across Europe – these figures have already been set as minimum targets in a corresponding EU regulation. Currently (2025), just under ten percent of this target has been achieved in Germany. Logistics companies have long since taken the initiative themselves and installed charging stations for their electrified fleets at numerous locations. Demand is growing just as steadily as the number of e-trucks: around 80,000 of them are currently on Germany’s roads. And smaller haulage companies are also increasingly opting for sustainable vehicles. However, a Germany-wide overview of charging points at freight forwarders’ yards is still lacking because, as non-public charging points, they are not recorded in registers such as that of the Federal Ministry of Transport’s “National Charging Infrastructure Control Center”.

They could make a significant contribution to the success of the charging expansion. After all, if the ongoing boom in e-trucks is not to stall, the expansion of the charging infrastructure at logistics locations must also be accelerated: Without a charging point on the freight forwarder’s own premises, the purchase of heavy-duty electric trucks makes little economic sense. When building new halls and warehouses, this requirement should therefore be included in the planning from the outset – for example through pre-equipped connection points, transformer areas or PV use. These considerations must be taken into account for the grid connection capacity of the logistics property so that the energy supplier has sufficient power available for the planned charging points. After all, a single electric truck requires several hundred kilowatt hours of energy per charging process. For charging capacities of 350 kW or more, a powerful medium-voltage connection is required.

In addition to the self-commitment of many logistics companies to sustainability, some of which have extremely ambitious targets in terms of_{CO2 neutrality}, the legal requirements are also becoming stricter: Since the beginning of 2025, owners of non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces have been obliged to install at least one functional charging point, for example, according to the Building Electromobility Infrastructure Act (GEIG). This applies to new buildings as well as existing properties. To ensure that these investments pay for themselves quickly, it can make sense for many haulage companies to open up charging points on their own premises to partner companies or cooperation networks. In conjunction with digital booking systems, this could significantly advance the expansion of a decentralized fast-charging network.

As a result, the important topic of charging infrastructure affects not only the users of the properties, but also building contractors as well as component manufacturers and investors. As a business platform covering the entire value chain of innovative logistics and industrial real estate, BUILDINX brings all players together and invites them to engage in dialog. Interested parties can find out more about best practices at first hand and talk to the right providers.

Author: Boris Kretzinger