Port of Tilbury opens eHGV charging hub

Fleete has opened the UK’s largest dedicated commercial vehicle electric charging hub at the Port of Tilbury in Essex.

The 5MW facility features 16 ultra-rapid chargers enabling up to 16 electric HGVs to charge simultaneously. This site is the first of a network of shared commercial vehicle charging hubs, designed to accelerate fleet electrification across the UK by providing high-powered charging at strategic logistics locations without the need for costly, time-consuming depot upgrades. 

Fleete’s new hub, delivered in partnership with the Port of Tilbury and Thames Freeport, is supported by £1m from the UK government’s Thames Freeport Seed Capital Programme, with further funding provided by the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme, funded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK. 

Strategically located at one of the UK’s busiest multimodal freight hubs, Fleete’s facility serves the growing number of zero-emission HGVs operating in and through the Port of Tilbury and along the A13 corridor into London. It also supports national infrastructure programmes including the Lower Thames Crossing, where major contractors are switching to electric vehicles to reduce emissions on one of the country’s largest infrastructure construction projects.  

Fleete’s shared-user model provides fleet operators with access to reliable, high-quality charging without the need for dedicated facilities, addressing common barriers to electrification including grid capacity, land constraints and upfront infrastructure cost. 

The new 5 megawatt (MW) site includes: 

• 6 x Siemens Flex 540kW chargers plus 12 x Flex 500A dispensers. There are three charging islands, each can be upgraded to MCS with 2 x 540 kW and 4 dispensers on each bay.  
• 4 x charging points powered by Power Electronics, featuring two NB Cooled Dispensers and one NB Station system, delivering up to 270 kW per charging point, with upgrade capacity to 360 kW.

The equipment is deployed as part of the eFREIGHT 2030 project.  eFREIGHT 2030 is part of the UK government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstration programme, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

The hub was delivered with design and construction support from industry partners including Envevo, bringing high-voltage charging infrastructure into operation within a live port environment. The site has been designed to accommodate additional fleet operators as demand grows. 

The official opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Fleete, project partners and fleet customers, with the hub formally opened by Sue Shinnick, Mayor of Thurrock. “Today is an important moment for Thurrock and for the wider move towards cleaner freight,” she said. “The opening of Fleete’s electric HGV charging hub here at the Port of Tilbury, the largest dedicated hub of its kind in the UK, highlights what can be achieved through strong partnership between industry, government and Thames Freeport. This investment supports cleaner transport, improves air quality for our communities, and reinforces Thurrock’s role in adopting practical, forward looking low carbon solutions.”

Speaking at the opening event, Chris Morrison, CEO at Fleete, said: “Today marks a major milestone for Fleete and for the wider logistics sector. From announcing the project last year, to now opening the site, our focus has been on proving that shared, high-capacity charging infrastructure can remove one of the biggest barriers to fleet electrification. 

“The Port of Tilbury hub shows what’s possible when industry and government work together to deliver infrastructure at scale. By supporting customers and collaborating with partners across the supply chain, we’re helping accelerate the transition to zero-emission commercial transport where it’s needed most.” 

Aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister Keir Mather said: ”This is a significant milestone in our drive to decarbonise road freight, helped by £1m government investment at the Port of Tilbury site to install EV chargers for HGVs.  Road freight is the backbone of our economy, keeping goods moving and businesses growing. By supporting the sector to go electric, we're cutting emissions and backing the industry to thrive? ong into the future.”

The new hub forms part of a wider effort to support cleaner freight movement and future-proof one of the UK’s most important logistics gateways.David Webster, regional director, Tilbury and Thames Freeport board member, said: “The opening of Fleete’s EV charging hub is a significant step forward for the Port of Tilbury as we work to support the decarbonisation of freight and logistics at one of the UK’s busiest ports.

“With thousands of HGV movements through the port every day, access to high-capacity, reliable charging infrastructure is critical. This shared facility will play an important role in helping our customers reduce emissions while maintaining efficient operations.” 

Stuart Rimmer, CEO (Interim) of Thames Freeport, added: “This is exactly the kind of project Thames Freeport was established to support. By using targeted seed capital funding to unlock private investment, we are helping to deliver infrastructure that strengthens the Port of Tilbury and supports its long-term competitiveness. 

“For Thurrock and the wider Thames Freeport region, this means cleaner freight operations, modern infrastructure and continued confidence that the area is well placed to attract further investment in sustainable logistics.” 

Logistics UK chief executive Ben Fletcher said: “Public charging infrastructure on this scale, and in such a key strategic location, is precisely what is needed to encourage more operators to use electric vehicles. The charging hub is vast, and with 16 ultra rapid chargers it will help operators make the switch to electric fleets – especially smaller operators who can struggle to install chargers at their depots.”