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For years, zero-emission freight has lived in PowerPoint decks and pilot projects. This week, it moved properly onto the motorway network.
See the full news story here in the EV Cafe News video: https://youtu.be/l__DBfwbnfE
Gridserve has officially opened two public electric HGV charging hubs at Extra Baldock (A1(M)) and Moto Exeter (M5), the first real-world sites delivered under the Electric Freightway project. This is part of the DfT-backed ZEHID programme, and crucially, it’s not theoretical anymore. Trucks are charging. Routes are running. Miles are being clocked.
Led by Gridserve and supported by a heavyweight consortium of 25 UK hauliers and manufacturers, these hubs are the first of seven sites due to open through 2026, with more locations planned for Tamworth, Thurrock, Leeds, Chester and Strensham North.
Each site is designed properly for trucks with drive-through bays, space for different vehicle sizes, sensible safety systems, lighting, signage and CCTV. In other words: infrastructure that understands freight, not car chargers scaled up and crossed fingers.
Daniel Kunkel, Gridserve’s CEO, summed it up neatly: zero-emission freight is no longer an ambition, it’s operational. And to prove the point, an electric DAF XF completed a 200-mile motorway run between the two sites using public charging alone.
Considering HGVs make up around 1% of road vehicles but contribute 16% of UK domestic transport emissions, this is a meaningful moment. Not the end of the journey, but finally, a proper start.
EV Café takeaway
”There’s a time and a place for talking about doing stuff, but I’m very much of the camp of doing stuff and talking about it.”
—Sam Clarke
Gridserve opening two public electric HGV charging hubs isn’t just another infrastructure headline, it’s a shift from discussion to delivery.
As Sam Clarke explained live on the show, this moment has been three years in the making, involving thousands of people across Gridserve, hauliers, OEMs and public bodies. Two sites are now live, seven more are coming in 2026, and the charging performance is already proving the point.
When we get the infrastructure right… charging is going to be a breeze. Trucks have to stop anyway. If we build this properly, it just works.”
—Sam Clarke
Paul Kirby was equally clear on why this matters:
“A lot of people would be forgiven for thinking ‘another waste of government money’. You cannot see this as waste. You can only see this as really strong investment.”
With HGVs making up 1% of vehicles but 16% of emissions, this isn’t optional. It’s necessary, and now, finally, operational.