Welch’s Transport has opened a new megawatt-scale eHGV charging hub at its Cambridge headquarters as part of the eFREIGHT 2030 project.
Powered by Voltempo’s HyperCharger technology, the new Duxford hub features six high-power charging bays, with two full-length drive-in, drive-out bays for complete tractor and trailer combinations and four tractor-unit bays, delivering up to 1MW of power dynamically distributed across the site.
The Cambridge hub joins Welch’s six bay 1MW charging hub at Bedford, also delivered under the eFREIGHT 2030 project, giving the family-owned operator high-power charging infrastructure across both of its depots.
eFREIGHT 2030 is part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. The consortium is introducing 88 electric HGVs and establishing charging infrastructure across 36 sites, including 25 megawatt-scale charging hubs, as part of a multi-year real-world evaluation of zero-emission road freight.
Welch’s began its electric HGV journey in 2023 with a 19-tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide. In October 2024, it became the first operator to put an electric tractor unit on the road through eFREIGHT 2030, introducing the first of two 42-tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech T delivered through the programme. Further investment has seen a third E-Tech T and a DAF electric tractor unit join the fleet, with three 28-tonne Renault Trucks E-Techs also on order. By January 2027, 12% of Welch’s fleet will be electric.
The early investment in electric trucks and charging infrastructure forms part of Welch’s long-term commitment to zero emission freight and its strategy for commercial growth. The 90-year-old, fourth-generation family haulier recently reported record profits following a series of major contract wins, with its sustainability credentials playing an increasingly important role in securing new business.
Chris Welch, Managing Director, Welch Group, said:
“We made the decision early on that we wanted to be at the forefront of electric freight, but it has always had to make commercial sense. We’ve invested in the trucks, learned how to operate them in the real world and now have the high-power infrastructure at Cambridge and Bedford to support the next stage.
“We’re growing the business and winning significant new contracts, with our sustainability credentials increasingly important to customers. Our investment in electric freight is supporting that growth and strengthening our proposition as we compete for new business.”
Both Cambridge and Bedford hubs sit within the UK’s largest depot charging network under eFREIGHT 2030. Through Voltempo’s DepotCharge model, Welch’s is opening spare capacity at both sites to approved third-party fleets, improving utilisation and generating new revenue from its charging infrastructure. For local operators, this provides access to secure, bookable and cost-competitive charging, helping remove one of the key barriers to accelerating the uptake of eHGVs.
Simon Smith, CEO of Voltempo, which leads eFREIGHT 2030, said:
“This is an exciting milestone for Welch’s and eFREIGHT 2030 as we build out the UK’s largest network of megawatt-scale depot charging infrastructure, putting the high-power charging in place to support electric HGVs in real-world operations.
“The opportunity now is to make that infrastructure work as hard commercially as it does operationally. Combining high utilisation with access to competitively priced energy helps drive down charging costs and strengthens the business case for electric HGVs, and demonstrates how the investment made through eFREIGHT 2030 is having an impact far beyond the consortium itself.”
The British-designed Voltempo HyperCharger has been developed specifically for heavy-duty freight applications. It can deliver up to 1MW of dynamically distributed power across multiple chargepoints, allowing vehicles to be charged according to their energy requirements and departure times.
Dr. Harsh Pershad, Innovation Lead for Zero Emission Vehicles at Innovate UK, who are delivering the Zero Emissions HGVs and Infrastructure Demonstration Programme (ZEHID) on behalf of the UK Government’s Department for Transport, which supported the project, said:
“When I visited Welch’s Duxford depot recently, I was impressed by Welch’s forward-thinking and holistic approach to sustainability.
“Today’s opening of the MegaWatt-scale charging hub developed by Welch’s and Voltempo through the ZEHID-funded eFREIGHT2030 project is an important milestone: It shows that electric HGVs and infrastructure are feasible today for mid-size hauliers. By offering to open access to charging for other businesses, Welch’s and Voltempo create the conditions to increase use of electric HGVs in Cambridgeshire. We hope this collaborative model will be replicated across the UK”.
Image courtesy of Welch’s Transport.
