With many businesses now moving towards the use of electric vehicles ahead of the country’s sustainability goals, one of the most significant shifts in the logistics and haulage sector is the move towards electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). As much as these vehicles present a much greener way for businesses to operate, sites may need electrical connection upgrades to ensure that their infrastructure is capable of supporting the needs of their new fleet.
In this guide, we cover what electric HGVs are, why they matter, and the importance of electric HGV infrastructure solutions to make these changes practical for fleets of all sizes.
What Are Electric HGVs?
Electric HGVs are heavy goods vehicles that are powered either fully by batteries (Battery Electric Vehicles or BEVs) or through a hybrid internal combustion engine and electric motor and battery. As opposed to traditional diesel engines, their electrical components are recharged through EV charging points, similarly to electric cars, but at a much larger scale suited to heavier vehicles.
Unlike electric passenger cars, HGVs need larger batteries due to their more significant weight and mileage, and often need high‑power charging to charge these with minimal downtime. As such, having the right energy systems in place for reliable charging is just as essential a business decision as the vehicles that are chosen.
Why Are Businesses Moving Towards Electric HGVs
There are various reasons as to why logistics and haulage businesses are making the transition to electric HGVs, which include the following:
Reducing Emissions
Road freight contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, transitioning from diesel to electric HGVs can dramatically reduce carbon output (especially when charging is powered through renewable energy connections) to ensure that your business operates as sustainably as possible.
Improving Air Quality
Electric HGVs produce zero tailpipe emissions, which means that they can support cleaner environments in both urban and rural locations alike.
Lower Operating Costs
Though the upfront vehicle cost is currently higher than diesel variants, electric HGVs offer lower lifetime operating costs through their reduced fuel costs and fewer moving parts, which often results in lower maintenance bills.
Policy and Compliance
With the country’s soon-approaching net‑zero targets and evolving regulations in line with this, electric vehicles will soon be needed by fleet operators to remain compliant and competitive.
The Need for Dependable Electric HGV Infrastructure
Unlike cars or vans, HGVs need high‑power charging stations and dedicated infrastructure that’s fully capable of powering commercial vehicles. These stations often need to deliver power in the hundreds of kilowatts, and increasingly at megawatt scale for rapid turnaround times, to ensure productive operations.
As such, well-considered electrical planning and implementation is a must for the smooth and reliable operation of an electric HGV fleet. This needs to be appropriately planned to ensure that chargers are connected safely and efficiently, that the local grid can support the load, and that installations are done to a high standard.
What Are the Grid Requirements for Electric HGV Charging?
Charging for HGVs, and especially rapid charging, places heavy demand on local electricity networks. Therefore, sites that are newly preparing their premises to accommodate an electric HGV fleet need to ensure that the following is considered:
- Grid capacity and connection requirements
- High-power electrical distribution systems
- Safety and standards compliance
The infrastructure currently in place for many sites will often not be prepared to deliver the power needed to regularly charge an electric HGV fleet, whether this be for overnight depot charging or rapid DC charging.
Electric HGV charging requires an especially large grid capacity, which is often 50 times more power than standard electric car chargers. For example, high-speed hubs will typically need between 350kW and 1MW+ connections to power a 45-minute charge.
As such, the grid connection will need to be capable of supplying enough electricity without causing strain on the local power network.
Our Electric HGV Infrastructure Services at Serconnect
To ensure that your site is fully capable of accommodating an EV fleet and is scalable for your business’ future needs, our electrical infrastructure services provide the perfect solution. As a NERS-accredited Independent Connection Provider (ICP), we offer end-to-end solutions for electrification and the installation of electric HGV charging infrastructure, with our services including:
- Feasibility studies to assess your site’s existing electrical capacity and determine the best charging solutions for your fleet.
- Grid connection design and delivery, ensuring sites have the required electrical capacity to charge multiple electric HGVs.
- High-voltage and low-voltage electrical infrastructure installation and upgrades, including the provision of substations and distribution networks.
- EV charging network installation, to power overnight AC charging and rapid DC charging alike.
- All associated civil solutions for efficient and minimally disruptive groundwork
- Transformer and substation testing and commissioning to ensure the infrastructure is ready for is operation.
Make the Transition to an Electric HGV Fleet with Serconnect
With electric HGVs soon to be not just a beneficial asset for greener business practices but a necessity as per developing regulations, ensuring that your site is prepared for its future electrical needs is a must. At Serconnect, we can carry out a range of electrical infrastructure services, from substation installation to transformer maintenance, so that your fleet operates smoothly and is easily scalable.
To find out more about how we can support your transition to an electric fleet with dependable electric HGV infrastructure and grid connections, get in touch with us today. A member of our team will gladly discuss your most suitable solutions.
