Charging network Gridserve and Voltloader have announced a new charging partnership that will see Gridserve’s Electric Freightway added to Voltloader’s existing national network of depot-based eHGV chargers.
The Electric Freightway originally formed part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. Led by Gridserve, the programme brought together more than 30 industry partners, including Voltloader, to accelerate the adoption of electric HGVs and the development of the charging infrastructure required to support them.
The objective was to work with commercial vehicle operators to demonstrate the role of public charging infrastructure in enabling zero-emission freight, supporting the decarbonisation of a sector which accounts for just under 20% of the UK’s transport CO2 emissions.
During the programme, the UK’s first public eHGV charging hubs were designed and delivered, while real-world operational data gathered from participants revealed that a single electric HGV could cut approximately 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2034 compared with a diesel equivalent.
Since then, Gridserve has continued to develop the Electric Freightway network, with dedicated eHGV charging infrastructure now operating at locations including Extra Baldock, Moto Exeter and Moto Tamworth, alongside dedicated provision at the Markham Vale and Stevenage Electric Forecourts. Six further eHGV charging hubs will open by the first quarter of 2027 as Gridserve continues to expand the network across key UK freight routes.
As part of the new agreement, Voltloader will expand its charging network with Gridserve’s ultra-rapid eHGV charging infrastructure. Positioned at strategically located sites, Gridserve’s hubs will provide more diverse charging options for Voltloader’s nationwide customer base, allowing businesses to send freight further and more frequently with zero emissions. The long-term commitment also provides Voltloader with preferential charging rates, while giving GRIDSERVE further insight into how public eHGV charging can support the day-to-day requirements of commercial freight operators.
Rebecca Trebble, Chief Customer Officer at Gridserve, said: “Voltloader is a true pioneer of electric freight and continues to demonstrate what is possible through meaningful, real-world deployment. We’re proud to support its ambition with ultra-reliable, strategically located charging infrastructure, while gaining valuable insight into how public eHGV charging can support commercial freight operations. Together, we can help demonstrate that the infrastructure needed for the transition to electric haulage is already becoming a reality.”
Dave Rose, Founder and CEO of Voltloader, added: “At Voltloader, we are building a national ecosystem of electric HGVs and depot charging infrastructure to help UK businesses accelerate progress towards low emissions road freight. For the transition to electrification to truly succeed, industries require access to dependable, strategically located charging infrastructure.
“The Gridserve Electric Freightway will support a broader range of our operations across the food and agriculture supply chain, helping us reduce charging downtime and increase operational efficiency for our national customer base while reducing emissions from the freight sector. This partnership is an important milestone in demonstrating how electric haulage can work at a national scale.”
The partnership comes at a critical point for the UK’s freight and logistics sector. In 2025, zero-emission trucks accounted for just 1.4% of the overall HGV market, with 587 vehicles registered out of 40,504 total HGV registrations. While much more needs to be done from a policy, energy and infrastructure perspective, companies like Voltloader and Gridserve are helping to build confidence in the transition to electrification and creating the right conditions for accelerated mainstream adoption of zero-emission freight.
