Nissan opened a £1.4 million charging hub for electric heavy goods vehicles at its Sunderland plant. The facility can support 25 trucks with charging speeds reaching 360kW.
The project brings together charge point operator Gridserve, haulage partners Fergusons and Yusen logistics, plus used vehicle specialists ECA. The UK Government’s £200 million Innovate UK scheme funded the development.
Seven charging stations can power up to 10 electric trucks simultaneously.
The site represents the UK’s first end-to-end electric supply chain for automotive manufacturing. Electric trucks will collect parts from Nissan’s supplier network – stretching as far as Derby in the Midlands – and deliver them to Sunderland for the upcoming Leaf, plus electric versions of the Qashqai and Juke.
The distance between Sunderland and Derby equals around 1.5 million miles traveled annually, according to Nissan. Switching to electric trucks will cut 1,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The hub supports Nissan’s EV36Zero vision for sustainable manufacturing. The initiative aims to produce electric vehicles and batteries in a single renewable energy-powered factory.
Industry Partnership Drives Electric Freight Forward
Michael Simpson, Nissan’s supply chain management vice president, described the milestone as leading the charge toward electrified logistics.
“It’s fantastic for our plant to be leading the charge to an electrified supply chain with this project,” Simpson said. “We welcome the support we’ve received from our partners to bring the charging station to life and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved.”
The charging station represents a significant step in Nissan’s EV360 vision – combining electric vehicles, zero carbon energy, and battery manufacturing.
Simpson noted the company’s exploring opportunities for other hauliers to use the facility while maximizing its potential.
Daniel Kunkel, Gridserve’s CEO, emphasized the importance of partnership in freight decarbonization.
“The decarbonisation of transport logistics is much stronger and reaches far wider when done in partnership,” Kunkel said. “This is why, as leaders of the Electric Freightway consortium, we are so pleased to support this UK first with Nissan and their haulage partners.”
Depot charging proves critical for truck electrification alongside future public charging infrastructure.
Growing Electric Freight Movement
Electric heavy goods vehicles are gaining traction across the UK’s transport sector. Delivery company Hived recently added 11 Mercedes electric trucks to its fleet.
Motorway service operator Moto announced plans for 300 electric truck chargers nationwide by 2030.
The Sunderland facility’s shared usage model could influence how the industry approaches electric freight infrastructure going forward.
