Welcome to the MCS revolution – the next phase in electric truck charging is here

At Kempower, we have been at the forefront of the MCS revolution, working alongside our partners to implement world-first megawatt installations charging heavy-duty electric vehicles with the new Kempower Megawatt Charging System.

What’s more, other industry players are also getting onboard, with MCS e-truck OEMs such as Traton, Volvo and Daimler Truck in Europe, as well as Tesla in the US, all announcing and recently demonstrating progress toward commercially available, MCS capable electric trucks – signalling that MCS is here to stay. Having seen this long-awaited concept become reality first-hand is very exciting, and at Kempower we believe 2026 could be the year of MCS.

As excitement grows around this new charging standard, we want to delve into the opportunities and challenges that implementing MCS brings for CPOs, truck OEMs and charger manufacturers.

The MCS revolution is here

Recent innovations in CCS charging mean that the majority of truck journeys can already be electrified today with charging powers soon surpassing 400 kW. Some in the industry even think that all electric logistic operations could be covered with the technology we already have today. However, with ever improving battery capacities and the critical schedules and short turnaround times in the logistics industry, there is still an urgent need for powerful charging technology that can enable long-haul journeys and therefore fully electrify road transportation for the years to come.

What we are currently seeing are very promising developments in charging for long-haul transportation routes and other heavy machinery. MCS could be the missing puzzle piece here. Its immense powers of up to over 1 MW allow vehicles to be charged during short idle times such as during regulatory driver breaks or during loading and unloading at the vehicles’ destination. Other heavy machinery with large battery capacities, such as electric port vehicles, can make use of the technology the same way. Therefore, MCS will be transformative for the most hard-to-abate operations, transforming road transportation and other vehicle segments as we know it.

It’s time for stakeholders to make their move

Once a far-off possibility, megawatt charging is becoming a reality. Now is a good time for stakeholders to make their move. Why now?

The first big driver is technological achievement. With the world’s first public MCS charging session taking place in August 2025, Kempower has shown that megawatt charging is a reality. At the same time, vehicle OEMs are close to series production of MCS capable vehicles.

Importantly, we’re approaching TCO parity between traditional diesel-powered trucks and electric trucks. While electric trucks are still more expensive, there are already first studies that indicate TCO positivity over the lifetime of the vehicle.This is a crucial adoption driver for the low-margin logistics industry.
Finally, regardless of costs, legislation is making electric trucks mandatory. Globally, governments are introducing sustainability targets. For example, the EU has legislated that truck manufacturers must reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030, or face heavy fines. Long-haul journeys must be electrified to meet these targets in the long-run.

Clearly, it’s not a question of if, but when for the MCS revolution. Kempower’s market intelligence team has calculated that over 20% of new truck registrations globally could be e-trucks by 2030. The potential MCS holds with its new standardizations, for example that the charging inlet should always be located on the left-side of the vehicle, suggests that MCS could even one day become the next charging standard for electric heavy duty vehicles, replacing CCS altogether.

The first movers are gaining a significant reputational advantage, which can be converted into financial success as the scales tip further towards electric trucks and MCS charging.

The trailblazers of MCS use

Kempower has already worked with some early adopters of MCS, who, understanding the inevitability of the MCS takeover, have invested in MCS infrastructure.

The Nordics are leading the way, with Kempower collaborating with trailblazers on many record-breaking projects such as:

Alfredsson Transport, Sweden: In August 2025, the world’s first public megawatt charging session took place at Alfredsson’s truck charging site in Norrköpingin, using the Kempower Mega Satellite and the new MCS communications protocol to charge a Scania truck.
Danske Fragtmænd, Denmark: Denmark’s first megawatt charging station for trucks opened in September in Odense, in collaboration with GodEnergi and Kempower.
ASKO, Norway: Norway’s first commercial MCS site is powered by Kempower’s distributed charging system.
Circle K, Sweden: Two Kempower MCS are live and functionally charging trucks at Circle K’s first MCS charging stations in Järna and Vädermotet.

North America, where long-haul trucking is even more common than in Europe, is another region with much to gain from MCS:

EV Realty, U.S.: Kempower is set to supply the MCS infrastructure for the U.S.’ largest grid-connected MCS site at EV Realty’s truck fleet hub in San Bernardino, California

Paving the way for the MCS transition with a dual strategy

Our record-breaking MCS use cases aren’t just vanity projects for our partners – they are working MCS sites built for the future. How did we ensure this? Going into 2026, the key to a future-proof truck charging site is a dual MCS/CCS strategy.

As the transition to MCS will be gradual over the next few years, a dual strategy means charging infrastructure can accommodate both CCS and MCS compatible vehicles and therefore ensure highest site utilizations from the beginning. The Kempower Megawatt Charging System supports the Kempower Mega Satellites, which offer a peak power of 1.2 MW, and a variety of different CCS satellites. This ensures maximum flexibility for CPOs and operators, as unused power can be distributed among all outputs through dynamic power sharing.

Existing Kempower customers can also upgrade existing systems to MCS by combining two 600 kW Kempower Power Units. Kempower understands that the journey to MCS is a transition, which is why scalability and flexibility are built into our solutions. That’s also why we collaborate closely with our customers to tailor a site design that meets their specific needs, ensuring efficiency and longevity of the solution.

Driving towards the future of the electric truck industry with MCS

We have seen for ourselves, as one of the drivers of this revolution, that MCS is not just achievable, but inevitable. The benefits of such high power charging simply cannot be ignored.

Naturally, challenges must be navigated to maintain the momentum of this shift. Governments must encourage the transition by staying committed to legislation that phases out diesel-powered vehicles. Further, the industry needs subsidies and incentives for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Germany’s recent announcement that it is extending electric trucks’ toll exemption until 2031 is a good example.

We also need to rethink charging sites in terms of grid capacity. Scalable MCS charging will only be feasible with integration of battery systems and smart energy management, as Kempower has shown together with Alfredsson on their site.

Truck OEMs need to commit to their goals and release vehicles with both MCS and CCS inlets, as Traton, Daimler and others have announced they will roll out during 2026. And finally, us charger manufacturers need to continue to work closely with CPOs and operators to make the transition as seamless as possible.

The early adopters that make moves first will not be making a sacrifice. Far from it – we believe that technology leadership during this important market phase is crucial for the electrification of heavy duty vehicles and will pay off in the end. And those that join the trailblazers will have the reputational advantage ready for when the transition really takes off.

It’s happening – MCS is here and it’s here to stay. We’re on board, are you?