Depotcharge lands €2.7M and BGL partnership to scale electric truck charging

Munich-based Depotcharge has raised €2.7 million in a pre-seed funding round to expand its shared charging infrastructure platform for electric road freight and support its international growth. The round was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from xdeck Ventures, Kopa Ventures, Prequel Ventures and business angels from the logistics, e-mobility and energy sectors. As part of its expansion, Depotcharge has also partnered with the Bundesverband Güterkraftverkehr Logistik und Entsorgung (BGL e.V.) to launch BGL Charge, a shared charging network for Germany’s road freight sector. Depotcharge is developing a platform that enables logistics companies to make unused charging capacity at their depots available to other fleets. As more operators invest in charging infrastructure for electric trucks, charging points can remain unused for parts of the day, while drivers on the road may have to rely on more expensive public charging infrastructure. The company’s platform connects this existing depot capacity into shared charging networks. Depot operators can determine their own prices, access rules and availability, while Depotcharge manages access control, invoicing and payment processing. The platform operates independently of charging hardware, backend systems and vehicle manufacturers. Through BGL Charge, logistics companies can open unused charging points at their depots to other fleets while gaining access to infrastructure provided by other participating operators. BGL Charge also handles marketing, access control, invoicing and payments, while individual depot operators retain control over pricing, availability and access conditions. E.L.V.I.S. AG is also participating in the initiative, pooling demand from its partner companies and representing their interests within BGL Charge. The purchasing cooperative will connect its community to the wider network, giving participating companies access to additional charging locations while generating additional demand at their own depots. The idea behind Depotcharge is simple: logistics companies share their charging infrastructure with one another and unlock economic value across the sector. This principle translates ideally to associations, by members, for members, with a clear benefit for everyone involved, said Joscha Specks, CEO and co-founder of Depotcharge. The new funding will be used to further develop the platform and support Depotcharge’s international expansion. The company plans to integrate charging more closely into transport dispatch operations through reservations, open interfaces and connections with existing transport management systems.