The ZENFreight consortium, part of the government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, has seen the deployment of its first eHGV, alongside the commissioning of its first high-capacity electric charging site.
Logistics firm DFDS has successfully introduced the first of its eight Volvo FM eHGVs into active service from its Sandhills Business Park depot in Liverpool. The vehicle will operate on a dedicated closed-loop route between the FMCG fulfilment centre in Merseyside and Liverpool Port, supporting a critical logistics corridor for goods heading to Ireland.
The newly commissioned charging facility at Sandhills Business Park features four charging bays, each capable of delivering 360kWh. The Volvo eHGV is able to fully charge in just two hours, enabling it to complete three-to-four delivery cycles per day on a single charge. The site was developed with independent connection provider (ICP) Envevo and represents the first live infrastructure installation under the ZENFreight programme.
Fifty-four zero-emission trucks are planned to be on the road by March 2026, with infrastructure to be developed across 18 depots.
