Earlier this year, a huge step was taken in the transport and logistics sectors towards reducing their carbon footprints and meeting 2050 net zero emissions targets, with one of the first eHGV crossing the Channel Tunnel on a LeShuttle freight train.
The eHGV belongs to logistics company Kuehne+Nagel, a sponsor of Generation Logistics, and is planned to be the first of many, with the business looking to have a fleet that is at least 60% low-emission by 2030.
Behind the operation was 23-year-old Matthew Scoble, eHGV Transport Planner, who only graduated last year with a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability from the University of Derby. “We worked with Eurotunnel/LeShuttle for over a year, working through various health and safety protocols to ensure that the eHGV could cross the tunnel safely,” Matthew explains.
“Planning the actual trip, however, took less than a day,” Matthew adds. “It mainly involved pinpointing charging stops, routes and overall timings. We had to adapt to public infrastructure availability, balancing charging times with transit schedules, ensuring that we were able to meet our depot in Germany in time while still having enough charge to get there and back without missing the schedule or running out of time with our drivers.”
Although he only completed his degree in 2025, Matthew has a longer history with Kuehne+Nagel, having completed an industrial placement with the company between his second and third year: “My time in the placement was spent conducting ESG audits of freight partners, becoming certified as Carbon Literate and delivering sessions to other industrial placement/graduate scheme peers, and many other sustainability-driven projects!
“This helped me get my name out into the wider business, directly leading to me being asked to return to Kuehne+Nagel to fulfil my current role as an eHGV Transport Planner.
“My new role is all to do with our new eHGVs and charging infrastructure, from planning things like the sector-first Eurotunnel trip to looking after the day-to-day running and reporting of the vehicles.”
Adrian Szewczyk, the driver of the eHGV that crossed the Channel Tunnel, is full of pride for the part he played, saying: “Driving an eHGV through the Channel Tunnel was a powerful moment because it showed what’s possible when innovation, infrastructure and collaboration come together.
“Crossing the Channel in a zero-emission vehicle really brought home the scale of progress being made in sustainable freight. I’m extremely grateful to everyone at Kuehne+Nagel for the trust they placed in me and for the opportunity to be part of such a significant milestone for cross-channel transport.”
