Gridserve has started building the UK’s first public charging hubs for electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) as part of its Electric Freightway initiative, marking a key milestone in the decarbonisation of the country’s freight transport sector. The first two of seven planned hubs are now under construction, with five more to be announced in the coming months.
The Electric Freightway programme aims to give fleet operators across the UK access to reliable charging infrastructure for heavy-duty transport. It is partly funded by the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. The initial hubs are being developed at Extra Baldock, serving fleets operating between London, the Midlands and the North, and at Moto Exeter, catering to routes across the South West, including Devon and Cornwall.
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Each hub is being designed with four to eight ultra-rapid charging bays specifically configured for large commercial vehicles such as articulated lorries and trailers. The layouts will allow for easy access and manoeuvrability, eliminating the need for reversing or repositioning. Facilities will include security features such as enhanced lighting, sensors, dedicated walkways and CCTV monitoring, while connectors and elevated screens will accommodate higher driving positions typical of HGVs.
Gridserve, which has been at the forefront of EV infrastructure development since its founding in 2017, said the initiative represents a major step toward cleaner road freight. The company has previously installed the UK’s first all-electric car charging forecourt in 2020 and another in 2022. Gridserve also installed Nissan’s private electric truck charging hub in Sunderland last year.
According to Gridserve CEO Daniel Kunkel, the company’s depot charging operations have already supported more than half a million zero-emission miles in the UK. The rollout of public eHGV hubs is expected to accelerate the electrification of long-haul freight transport, contributing to the government’s broader climate goals and reducing emissions across the logistics sector.