Amazon Introduces CHALET (Charging Location for Electric Trucks)

Amazon today introduces a new open-source technology called CHALET, which helps the private sector, governments, grid operators, and local authorities identify suitable locations for electric truck charging stations.

(Brussels) Identifying new charging infrastructure locations is one of the most pressing challenges for decarbonizing the transport sector. Tools like CHALET – derived from the English term “Charging Location for Electric Trucks” – can help accelerate CO2 reduction in the European logistics industry.

The Sustainable Freight Buyers Alliance (SFBA) is an independent industry alliance of freight buyers dedicated to accelerating the decarbonization of freight transport, particularly through the adoption of electric trucks, in collaboration with its members and partners. The alliance uses the tool to create a priority list for the placement of charging infrastructure developed by the industry. Furthermore, the alliance calls on the industry to participate in the location identification using CHALET. The more transport and logistics providers input their requirements into the tool, the better the location map reflects the needs of the industry. The map will help support industry and governments with recommendations for targeted investments in public charging infrastructure.

Transport Sector Accounts for 22% of EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The transport sector accounts for 22% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions. Its electrification is one of the most promising levers to reduce CO2 emissions from transport. However, public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles has so far lagged behind the needs of the public and private sectors. One of the biggest challenges lies in determining the best locations to maximize usage across the public and private industry and to expand the most heavily trafficked transport routes in Europe.

CHALET addresses this challenge by allowing transport and logistics operators to input specific locations and routes for their logistics network, as well as individual factors such as vehicle battery, range, and transit times. CHALET takes these factors into account and generates a list of optimal charging locations. Amazon developed CHALET over a period of 18 months and is now making the code available as open source, so the entire industry can benefit from this tool.

Other industry participants also welcome the new tool. The business association Eurelectric encourages its members to participate, as the resulting location map will more accurately reflect the real needs of the industry the greater the participation. All company-specific information will be anonymized and treated confidentially. More information can be found on GitHub under the repository name chalet-charging-location-for-electric-trucks.

“The electrification of the middle mile in Europe will only gain momentum when an efficient and practical charging infrastructure is in place. Our teams have developed an effective, science-based tool for this purpose.

Making More Strategic Decisions

Amazon provides the code as an open-source solution to help companies of all sizes make more strategic decisions regarding electrification,” says Andreas Marschner, Vice President of Amazon Transportation Services.

“To accelerate the adoption of electric trucks, tools like CHALET are a crucial factor for the successful decarbonization of our industry. We urge the industry to input information into the tool to reflect their needs. Identifying locations for the installation of charging infrastructure will play a key role in reducing emissions,” says Rik Arends, Director of the Sustainable Freight Buyers Alliance, Smart Freight Centre.

“Given the rapid spread of electric vehicles in Europe, the continuous expansion of charging infrastructure is central to driving the decarbonization of the transport sector,” says Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric. “To meet the growing charging demand, both energy companies and authorities will benefit from input and recommendations from fleet operators to determine the best locations for charging infrastructure. The CHALET tool developed by Amazon is helpful in this regard.”

CHALET is the latest initiative in Amazon’s ongoing electrification efforts. The continuous expansion of a zero-emission fleet supports the company’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. Amazon began introducing its first fully electric 40-ton trucks in Germany and the UK in 2022. Additionally, the company announced plans to invest over 1 billion euros in further electrification and decarbonization of its transport network in Europe over the coming years. This investment will more than double the number of electric vehicles in Amazon’s transport network, including additional electric heavy-duty vehicles, electric vans, and the necessary charging infrastructure.

Support for Implementation

Amazon also supports the implementation of an ambitious European regulatory framework for the decarbonization of trucks. This includes stricter CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, which would raise the CO2 reduction targets for new trucks in the EU to at least 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2040. Furthermore, Amazon advocates for a Europe-wide charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. As the first signatory of the Climate Pledge, Amazon has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 – ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Photo: © Amazon