At launch, Upper Austrian-based Hasenöhrl Bau GmbH and Salzburg-based Friedl GmbH are participating. Both companies are opening up their charging infrastructure to authorized network members, providing depot charging options at their locations in St. Pantaleon, Arbing, Freistadt, and Berndorf near Salzburg. As a next step, the network is set to expand to additional locations in Austria as well as into Germany. 

The concept is based on the shared use of depot charging infrastructure. Charging hub operators can open up free charging windows to other logistics companies, thereby increasing the utilization of their facilities. At the same time, e-truck fleets gain access to additional, predictable charging points along their transport routes. This aims to streamline route planning and avoid unnecessary detours as well as redundant investments in proprietary charging infrastructure. 

According to SMATRICS, the Depot Club addresses a core challenge of electrification in freight transport: the historically siloed planning of charging infrastructure. Instead of building isolated charging stations, the initiative aims to create a networked charging ecosystem tailored to actual transport flows. This could allow existing capacities to be used more efficiently and improve the cost-effectiveness of electric transport solutions. 

The model is designed to open up additional revenue streams for depot operators. They can determine for themselves when and to what extent their charging points are available to other companies. Meanwhile, freight forwarders and logistics service providers gain access to additional charging options without having to invest in building new infrastructure themselves. 

SMATRICS views the Depot Club as a first step toward a more comprehensively networked e-logistics system in Europe. In the long term, the network is intended to significantly increase the availability of e-truck charging infrastructure and accelerate the market ramp-up of battery-electric commercial vehicles. Through so-called Charging-as-a-Service models, small and medium-sized logistics companies in particular are expected to benefit from lower barriers to entry and greater predictability in daily operations.