The eFREIGHT 2030 consortium, eFREIGHT 2030, part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme (ZEHID), has reached a major milestone with the official opening of the first megawatt-scale electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) charging site.
The site uses Voltempo’s HyperCharger technology at East Midlands Gateway to support Kuehne+Nagel’s UK road operations.
Formally opened on 15 January with Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in attendance, the Kuehne+Nagel hub is the first MCS-ready (Megawatt Charging System) charger to be deployed in the UK.
Designed and implemented by Voltempo, lead partner of the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium and the programme’s charging infrastructure provider, the new charging hub at East Midlands Gateway is powered by Voltempo’s HyperCharger system, capable of delivering charge rates up to one megawatt – enough to charge future eHGVs in less than 30 minutes.
It is the first of Voltempo’s Megawatt-scale HyperChargers to be deployed under the planned national rollout of 35 depot charging hubs through eFREIGHT 2030, part of UK government’s £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
“This first deployment of Voltempo’s HyperCharger at Kuehne+Nagel’s depot is a significant milestone for zero emission freight,” said Simon Smith, CEO, Voltempo.
“As lead partner and charging infrastructure provider for eFREIGHT 2030, our focus has been on delivering infrastructure that works for real-world freight operations today, while being ready for the next generation of high-power electric and autonomous HGVs tomorrow.”
The Kuehne+Nagel site features six DC charging bays powered by Voltempo’s HyperCharger infrastructure. At the heart of the system is a single megawatt-scale HyperCharger pod, which intelligently distributes power across a network of charge points with one positioned at each bay, enabling flexible, high-power charging to support future freight operations.
Strategic location for UK freight
The East Midlands Gateway charging infrastructure will support Kuehne + Nagel’s continued investment in decarbonising its fleet, initially serving an electric fleet of twelve eHGVs which are part of the ZEHID project, including both DAF XF Electric and Renault Trucks E-Tech Ts as part of eFREIGHT 2030 operating across regional, national and international routes. Each truck is providing valuable real-world performance and efficiency data to support the eFREIGHT 2030 programme, including analysis of energy use, range, charging cycles and total cost of operation.
