Yusen Logistics has become the first haulier to deliver production parts directly into Nissan’s Sunderland plant using an electric HGV.
The Volvo truck covered a total route trip of 436 miles, and provided real-world testing before the start of the end-to-end scheme, which will deploy 10 eHGVs.
It is part of Electric Freightway, led by Gridserve and part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
The trial runs from September 2025 to September 2030.
Yusen’s Derby warehouse has the capacity to charge three eHGVs at any one time, while its Leeds site has also installed three 360kW and seven 43kW eHGV charging bays, allowing the site to charge 10 eHGVs.
The average charger speed is 250kWh with an average time to charge being 2.5 hours to full capacity.
Yusen Logistics UK and Nissan’s charging station will support a fleet of 25 trucks with a charging capacity of up to 360kW, saving about 1,500 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The trucks will collect parts from Nissan’s UK supply base, from the Midlands to Port of Tyne.
Ray Blackham, regional general manager at Yusen Logistics UK said, “Our Leeds and Derby sites were selected for the trial due to their strategic importance in supporting our customer, Nissan.
“This initiative has been made possible through close collaboration with Nissan and reflects our shared commitment to sustainability.”
Daniel Kunkel, CEO at Gridserve, said, “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.”
