DFDS takes on first of eight electric Volvo trucks

The vehicle will operate on a dedicated closed-loop route between a fulfilment centre in Merseyside and Liverpool Port, supporting a 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 two 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 247 million miles on electric power in 2024, avoiding more than 4,245 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.

Allan Bell, vice-president logistics UK and Ireland at DFDS said: “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 and automotive sectors.”