The UK’s first Government-backed electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) has entered service under the ZenFreight consortium, part of the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.
European logistics group DFDS has deployed the first of eight Volvo FM Electric trucks from its Sandhills Business Park depot in Liverpool, supported by a new 360kWh high-capacity charging hub developed with Envevo. Each vehicle can fully recharge in two hours and complete up to four daily delivery cycles between Merseyside and Liverpool Port.
The deployment marks a significant step in public sector-backed electrification of the UK’s heavy goods industry, with ZenFreight aiming to scale to 54 zero-emission trucks and 18 depots by March 2026.
“This deployment is a crucial early step in showing that electric freight is not just viable, it’s happening now,” said Angus Webb, founder and CEO of Dynamon. “Our goal is to build a nationwide data-driven model for eHGV deployment and charging infrastructure. DFDS’ Sandhills site is the first of many.”