Welch’s Transport opens megawatt eHGV charging hub at Cambridge
Welch’s Transport has opened a new megawatt eHGV charging hub at its Cambridge headquarters in Duxford, delivered as part of the eFREIGHT 2030 project. The site is powered by Voltempo’s HyperCharger technology and features six high-power charging bays. Two of these are full-length drive-in, drive-out bays that can accommodate complete tractor and trailer combinations, while the other four serve tractor units. Together they deliver up to 1MW of power, distributed dynamically across the site.
The Duxford hub joins Welch’s six-bay, 1MW charging hub at Bedford, which was also delivered under eFREIGHT 2030. With both in place, the family-owned operator now has high-power charging infrastructure at each of its depots.
A steady path to electric 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 vehicles delivered through the programme. Further investment has since brought a third E-Tech T and a DAF electric tractor unit into the fleet, and three 28-tonne Renault Trucks E-Techs are also on order. By January 2027, 12% of Welch’s fleet will be electric.
This early investment in electric trucks and charging infrastructure forms part of the company’s long-term commitment to zero emission freight, and of its strategy for commercial growth. The 90-year-old, fourth-generation family haulier recently reported record profits following a series of major contract wins, and its sustainability credentials are 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.”
Opening up depot charging to more fleets
Both the Cambridge and Bedford hubs sit within the UK’s largest depot charging network under eFREIGHT 2030. Through Voltempo’s DepotCharge model, Welch’s is making spare capacity at both sites available to approved third-party fleets. This improves utilisation of the equipment and generates new revenue from the charging infrastructure. For local operators, it offers access to secure, bookable and cost-competitive charging, helping to remove one of the key barriers to wider 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.”
Charging technology built for heavy-duty freight
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 each vehicle to be charged according to its energy requirements and departure time. For a busy depot, this means the available power is used efficiently, rather than being tied to individual chargers.
Government and industry backing
The project has been supported by the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, which Innovate UK is delivering on behalf of the UK Government’s Department for Transport. Dr. Harsh Pershad, Innovation Lead for Zero Emission Vehicles at Innovate UK, 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”.
About eFREIGHT 2030
eFREIGHT 2030 is part of the 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. To keep up with eFREIGHT 2030 news and developments, visit the eFREIGHT 2030 news page. To learn more about the ZEHID programme, visit Zero emission heavy goods vehicles and infrastructure on the Innovate UK Business Connect website.
