Germany: EIB backs game-changing electric trailer rollout for Europe’s freight sector - invests €25 million in Trailer Dynamics

• €25 million EIB venture debt financing backed by the EU’s InvestEU programme
• Aachen-based start-up develops e-trailers compatible with any truck
• Technology reduces fuel costs by 40%, boosts electric truck range from 400 km to 700 km and cuts CO₂ emissions
• Trailer Dynamics innovation is directly responding to new regulatory requirements—solving both compliance and cost problems for logistics firms

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is investing €25 million in German start-up Trailer Dynamics, a pioneer in trailer electrification technology. This funding will accelerate the company’s scale-up, production, and market rollout, reinforcing Europe’s technological leadership in the electrification of freight transport.

Trailer Dynamics’ e-trailer technology offers a breakthrough solution for decarbonising heavy road transport. By pairing a conventional truck unit with an electrically-powered trailer with its own battery and electric motor, logistics operators can cut fuel consumption by up to 40% compared to diesel-only lorries.

When combined with electric truck units these can extend the range from around 400 km to 700 km meaning fewer charging stops and more deliveries per day, and making long-haul zero-emission transport a reality. Its innovative powertrain software ensures efficiency, safety, and full interoperability for logistics fleets.

“The energy transition cannot wait — it needs solutions that deliver real impact today and compete head-on with fossil-based methods,” said EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer. “Trailer Dynamics’ e-trailer technology does exactly that: cutting emissions, reducing fuel costs, and extending electric truck range without compromising on performance or affordability. By backing this innovation, we’re helping Europe accelerate towards cleaner, smarter freight transport.”

Michael W. Nimtsch, CFO of Trailer Dynamics, “We are genuinely excited to join forces with the European Investment Bank and to have their support behind our electrified trailer technology. The funding provided by the EIB represents a strong vote of confidence in our mission and will play a crucial role in scaling our solution across Europe. This partnership is more than a milestone for us — it’s a meaningful step toward accelerating decarbonisation across commercial transport and proving that cleaner freight is within reach.”

Dr. Stefan Binnewies Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Trailer Dynamics: “This partnership with the European Investment Bank demonstrates how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. The EIB’s funding enables us to scale our technology faster and make a tangible contribution to reducing emissions in road freight. It’s an encouraging signal that Europe is ready to lead in the decarbonisation of transport.”

Europe’s freight sector faces mounting pressure to cut emissions and costs, with growing zero-emission and electric-trailer usage across leading EU fleets. Electrification is the most effective way to do this, but operators are held back by the limited battery range and availability of electric truck units, and a large existing stock of diesel trucks. Trailer Dynamics’ solution enables operators to act now, bridging the truck electrification gap, reducing emissions from existing diesel fleets while extending the capabilities of new electric trucks.

The new technology will help logistics companies adapt to challenges of limited electric truck range, rising fuel costs and tightening regulations

New European and national rules are driving change in freight transport, with the European Parliament approving stricter CO₂ standards for trucks, buses and trailers. Trailers now face targets—a 10% emissions reduction by 2030 and certification requirements from 2024 onward. This is accelerating investment in smarter, electric trailers, with fleet operators needing to upgrade to remain compliant and competitive.

This new technology will allow manufacturers to reduce emissions of trailers by 10% by 2030, and avoid facing substantial penalties per trailer.

Each e-trailer is equipped with electric axles, wheels powered by their own motor, powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, providing propulsion support and optimising energy use. At the heart of the system is Trailer Dynamics’ smart energy system, which monitors and controls the electric axle in real time for maximum efficiency and safety. Crucially, the e-trailer is designed for full compatibility with any truck brand — a must for logistics operations where trailers and trucks are coupled and uncoupled multiple times a day. They can also be used with existing diesel trucks, allowing fleets to be gradually upgraded rather than replaced.

The EIB loan is supported by the InvestEU programme, which aims to trigger more than €372 billion in additional investment in new technologies until 2027. The deal is aligned with the InvestEU objective of promoting research, development and innovation.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment to contribute towards EU policy goals. Its key priorities are climate and the environment, innovation and skills, small and medium companies (SMEs), infrastructure and cohesion, development. It works closely with other EU institutions to foster European integration, promote the development of the European Union and support EU policies in more than 140 countries worldwide.

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

EIB venture debt is a quasi-equity investment product suitable for early and growth stage ventures, combining a long-term loan with an instrument linking the return to the performance of the company. Since 2015, the EIB has invested €6 billion in Venture Debt, backing over 200 companies and realising over 50 exits. With the backing of InvestEU, the EIB aims to support European ventures and scale-ups in the cleantech, deep-tech and life sciences sectors.

Trailer Dynamics is a technology innovator delivering a scalable platform to decarbonise heavy road transport. The company has developed a proprietary eTrailer with an integrated electric drivetrain that can be paired with any truck — reducing diesel fuel consumption in conventional trucks or extending range in battery-electric trucks. By relocating a reliable electric drivetrain into the trailer, the system provides traction support during acceleration and gradients and, when capacity remains, continuously assists the truck over the entire route. This leads to a material reduction in CO₂ emissions for diesel fleets and a meaningful range extension for battery-powered trucks, without requiring changes to existing trucks. This dual-use architecture creates an immediately deployable and capital-efficient pathway to cleaner freight transport that aligns with global sustainability mandates and fleet economics.