Nissan has unveiled a £1.4 million electric truck charging hub at its manufacturing facility in Sunderland, marking what is described as the UK’s first onsite private shared charging station for heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs). The facility is part of broader efforts to decarbonise the automotive supply chain and reduce freight emissions.
Developed in collaboration with haulage partners Fergusons, Yusen, and BCA, and led by Gridserve under the Electric Freightway project, the hub is equipped with seven charging towers capable of charging up to 10 eHGVs simultaneously. The system has a total capacity of up to 360kW and is designed to support 25 electric trucks that handle inbound parts collection and outbound vehicle deliveries to and from the Port of Tyne. Nissan estimates the hub will enable up to 60 electric freight deliveries per day.
“It is fantastic for our plant to be leading the charge to an electrified supply chain with this project,” said Michael Simpson, Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Nissan AMIEO. “We’re proud of what we achieved. The charging station looks brilliant and is a big step forward in Nissan’s EV360 vision, which brings together electric vehicles, zero carbon energy, and battery manufacturing.”
The Electric Freightway project is part of the UK government’s £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. The project aims to accelerate adoption of electric heavy goods vehicles through targeted investments in charging infrastructure and vehicle deployment.
“We’re working closely with the road freight sector to slash transport emissions, and our £200m zero emission HGV programme is helping businesses across the country to power the electrification of its fleets,” said Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads.
Daniel Kunkel, CEO of Gridserve, emphasised the strategic importance of depot-based charging infrastructure. “Depot charging is critical for the electrification of HGVs, going hand in hand with future public infrastructure developments. As a first shared usage site, this location is leading the way in sustainable freight logistics,” he said.
Nissan is also exploring opportunities to extend access to the facility for third-party hauliers and maximise utilisation of the charging infrastructure as it advances its broader EV360 vision.