A New Era for Heavy Fleet Electrification
Transitioning heavy-duty commercial vehicles to electric power is often perceived as a challenge constrained by charging speed, uptime, and high infrastructure investment costs. However, real-world operational data from UK cold-chain logistics leader Reed Boardall demonstrates how a high-capacity, smartly deployed charging architecture turns these perceived hurdles into major efficiency drivers.
Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Reed Boardall charging hub in Boroughbridge, powered by Chargepoly, represents the most intensive-use case in Chargepoly’s UK network. Over a 6-month tracking period, the site has consistently delivered high power charging to keep zero-emission refrigerated transport moving without interruption.
Key Operational Highlights & Performance Metrics
- Energy Delivery: Over 104.6 MWh delivered across 884 successful charging sessions during the 6-month period, averaging 20.5 MWh per month.
- Intensive Daily Fleet Usage: Supporting two Volvo FM Electric heavy trucks on continuous 24/7 shuttle runs, consuming roughly 500 kWh per day per vehicle for ~450 km daily mileage.
- Anatomy of an eTruck Charging Session:
- Average Energy per Event: around 200 kWh delivered per e-Truck session
- Active Charge Time: Under 1 hour (58 minutes on average).
- Average Power: 200 kW sustained throughout active charging.
- Peak Power Adaptability: Recent testing with a Scania eTruck proved the system’s high-power flexibility, continuously drawing up to 360 kW without derating during peak sessions
The Operational Model: Seamless Cold-Chain Logistics
Reed Boardall’s 24/7 shuttle rotation relies on a streamlined tractor-swapping process designed to eliminate driver and vehicle downtime:
- Shuttle Runs: Drivers transport frozen food goods between regional warehouses using refrigerated trailers.
- Quick Dock & Unhitch: Upon returning to the depot yard, drivers back the trailer up to warehouse docks, unhitch the Volvo FM Electric tractor unit, and drive directly to the charging station.
- Top-Up & Swap: While the tractor unit charges at full capacity, drivers hitch onto another loaded trailer from the company’s pool of ~250 units and return to the road immediately after charging completes.
Because charging session durations strictly match vehicle residence time, the private depot hub operates with the same throughput & speed of a standard diesel truck fleet.
Maximising TCO & Unlocking Unused Infrastructure Capacity
Tripling Productivity Over Legacy AC Chargers
When Reed Boardall first introduced electric trucks at the end of 2024, operations relied on two standard 43 kW AC Garo chargers. These legacy units restricted vehicles to overnight charging cycles, requiring up to 12 hours of static downtime and severely capping fleet utilisation.
Upgrading to Chargepoly’s 360 kW HDPU ultra-fast charging architecture enabled Reed Boardall to double or triple daily vehicle output. While the initial CAPEX for ultra-fast DC infrastructure is undeniably higher, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), particularly when taking into account the 75% UK Government Depot Charging Scheme grant award, improves significantly because fewer vehicles are required to achieve the exact same daily mileage and revenue.
Unlocking Capacity Without Further CAPEX
Analysis from the EV Utilisation Assessment Report reveals massive headroom for fleet expansion on the existing hardware:
- Current Utilisation: Active charging currently uses only 9.1% of powered-position hours across the site’s simultaneous charging positions, representing just 7.5% of total nameplate energy capacity.
- Immediate Expansion (+7 Daily Events): Chargepoly recommends a phased growth strategy, adding up to 7 additional daily articulated truck charging events to cover peak demand without adding hardware.
- Practical Capacity (+12 Daily Events): Under a practical 12-hour charging window at a 70% planning ceiling, the current station can comfortably support 12 additional articulated truck charging events per day.
- Maximum Daily Throughput: Under fully optimised scheduling using Chargepoly’s Lucie software, the single 360 kW HDPU hub can support up to 20 total eTrucks per 24-hour cycle.
Conclusion
Reed Boardall’s 24/7 operation proves that heavy-duty logistics and fleet electrification can be both reliable and commercially sound. By leveraging intelligent high-power charging, operators can scale their electric fleets seamlessly, unlocking hidden capacity and maximising vehicle utilisation without requiring immediate additional capital investment.
