DFDS introduces first electric truck under ZENFreight project

Shipping and logistics company DFDS has successfully introduced the first of its eight Volvo FM Electric eHGVs into active service from its Sandhills Business Park depot in Liverpool.

The vehicle is deployed under the ZENFreight consortium, part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme.

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 2 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.

DFDS is already a European leader in low-emission logistics. With 145 electric trucks currently in operation across Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and Germany, DFDS has driven more than 2,47 million miles on electric power in 2024, avoiding over 4245 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.  In the UK the company aims to scale its low-emission transport offerings as demand from customers increases.

Allan Bell, Vice President Logistics UK & Ireland, DFDS said: "At DFDS, we’re committed to leading the transition to low-emission road transport. We’re proud to be deploying electric trucks in the UK, with our first vehicle through ZENFreight now operating on behalf of a key partner. Running on a closed circuit, the route is ideally suited for electric and marks a significant step in our decarbonisation journey. Subsequent additions to the fleet will focus on collaboration with customers in the Food, FMCG & Automotive sectors.

"Our on-site charging infrastructure is becoming more robust to support the growth of our electric fleet. However, to enable broader adoption across supply chains and support longer-distance operations, continued investment and cross-sector collaboration are essential."

The deployment marks the first operational proof point for ZENFreight, the UK’s most ambitious demonstration of zero-emission technology in HGV operations, demonstrating both hydrogen fuel cell (HFCEV) and battery electric HGVs. Led by fleet optimisation experts Dynamon, the consortium comprises major operators including DFDS, John G Russell (Transport), Maritime Transport and Gregory Distribution, as well as truck manufacturers such as Volvo, DAF, Scania and Daimler, and academic partner Imperial College London.

“This deployment is a crucial early step in showing that electric freight is not just viable, it’s happening now,” said Angus Webb, Founder and CEO of Dynamon.  “Our goal is to build a nationwide data-driven model for eHGV deployment and charging infrastructure. DFDS’ Sandhills site is the first of many.”

ZENFreight is backed by government and industry support, with the Department for Transport funding the initiative as part of the ZEHID programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.