Shell has installed its first charging station for electric heavy goods vehicles in the UK, at its Markham Moor truckstop in Nottinghamshire.
The 24-hour site, 25 miles south of Doncaster and adjacent to the A1, is on a main arterial route connecting major cities and regions, and benefits from more than 8,000 trucks passing daily.
Shell says that the 400kW/hr fast charger – which has two connectors to charge multiple vehicles simultaneously at 200kW/hr – will reinforce the location as a destination hub.
It comes after The Road Haulage Association called on the government to prioritise investment in infrasctructure for electric trucks.
Currently it is estimated that there are just 300 electric HGVs operating in the UK, and that with just one other public charging point for them at a service station in Rivington, most are used for short journeys, and charge at their base.
The Shell Recharge service has the benefit of a ’book and charge’ system so that fleet managers can secure charging bays. Also, drivers can pay for the charging with the Shell fuel card.
Shell’s head of UK fleet solutions Euan Moir says that the service will help hauliers make the transition to cleaner energy fleets, at a time that an “electric future is already coming to fruition in the UK”.
“The future of commercial road transport will look mostly electric,” says Moir. ”Providing a seamless charging experience for drivers at Shell Markham Moor is another step in helping transport companies continue to operate efficiently during the energy transition,” he adds.
Shell already operates electric charging for trucks in several European countries including the Netherlands and Germany.
