Get onboard with the electric truck revolution
Shell expands public truck charging network to UK with addition of Markham Moor truck stop
The launch of Shell’s first public charging site designed for heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs). The launch comes at a time when the commercial road transport landscape is evolving, as fleet managers, shippers, transporters, and business owners are all managing the growing societal and governmental pressures to reduce emissions.
UK government grants:
- Zero Emissions Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA): allows local transport authorities to bid for funding to purchase zero-emission buses.
- Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID): aims to showcase feasibility of large-scale, zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
- Workplace Charging Scheme: provides funding toward procuring and installing EV charge points.
- Project Zero Emission North (ZEN): Is a consortium of truck manufacturers, renowned academic partners, committed freight operators and an international energy company, working together to accelerate the decarbonisation of HGVs.
- Car Scrappage Scheme lead by the Transport for London (TfL): The scrappage scheme is providing grant payments up to £11,500 for vans and minibuses to scrap or retrofit vehicles that do not meet the emissions standards and switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.
In the UK, the transport sector remains the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter1 contributing 26% of overall emissions – slightly greater than the global average of 25%2. The government previously announced an ambition to phase out the sale of non-zero emission trucks weighing up to 26 tonnes by 2035 and trucks weighing more than 26 tonnes by 20403
Forward-thinking national transport grants have emerged to support the industry and drive adoption of solutions that help businesses align with the established targets. With clear grants and business roadmaps to lower and zero carbon fleets will help drive and support “future funding" of the government if we can show compelling reasons for fleet companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to act sooner rather than later. Those that don’t start now could fall behind competition; and, worse, they could find themselves in a position where funding to begin their transition has already been exhausted.
A simple solution for all fleets? Well, no, there is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer, and decarbonising your fleet business can be complex. The effort requires foresight, preparation, and strategic consideration for operational impacts. Fleet managers must ensure their approach is reliable, in that it mitigates operational disruption; efficient, in that it can be implemented with ease; and cost-effective, to maintain competitiveness.
Foresight: The electrification of heavy-duty transport
Amid this backdrop, electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as an increasingly critical route to emissions reduction for many road transport fleets. Globally, CRT is increasingly transitioning to electric, and the industry will see a surge in progress as technology advances and becomes more affordable and as charging infrastructure becomes more available. Analysts project electricity will power nearly 80% of the global fleet by 2050, despite increased adoption facing some challenges4.
In the UK, the transport and logistics segment has a strong incentive to shift towards electric fleets, and charging infrastructure is needed where fleets are and where they go. This is particularly relevant as 20% of the HGV sector needs on-the-go charging to complete longer trips. Whilst 20% is a small contribution of the market sector, it is responsible for 53% of the UK’s Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) emissions5.
In order to help achieve lower and zero-carbon solutions, homebase charging and access to suitable, fit-for-purpose public on-the-go charging are critical. In fact, projections suggest ~80% of electric truck charging will be conducted at a depot and ~20% at on-the-go6 sites. In decarbonising and supporting the sector switch to lower and zero emission fuels e-depot charging has a considerable role to play.
According to Element Energy7, a UK study commissioned by Transport and Environment in 2023, found 65-75% of rigid HGV and 25-35% of the articulated HGV UK market can predominantly rely on back-to-base charging.
Preparation: Building the infrastructure
Shell is building a European eMobility ecosystem for our customers’ energy needs along key transport corridors, at their depots and destination hubs, bringing seamless integration with digital tools, heavy duty hardware and amenities and services.
In 2022, Shell acquired SBRS, a German market leader for public transport electrification and project delivery, enabling Shell to engineer, manufacture and deploy custom EV charging solutions. Shell has since installed depot chargers at customer sites and debuted Shell Recharge at a truck stop at the Port of Hamburg, followed by additional openings at truck stops at Eindhoven and Pesse in the Netherlands – seamlessly integrating charging bays into existing infrastructure.
Most recently, Shell inaugurated its first self-developed megawatt charger for dual use by both electric trucks and shipping vessels at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam (ETCA). And now, it has launched public truck charging at Markham Moor.
The importance of the milestone of this historic transformation cannot be overstated as they underscore our commitment to help decarbonise the sector.
Strategic considerations: Ensuring a smooth transition
Fleet businesses are also making moves. While some are progressively transitioning entire fleets to electric, others are testing the water with small-scale pilots of 10-or-so e-trucks, giving them the space to learn how to operationalize their business with a new power train before fully scaling.
For depot charging, fleet managers must determine the location and type of chargers they will need, and consider the hardware, software, and energy management approach based on their current and future business needs. For on-the-go charging, the availability of chargers at truck stops is critical to ensuring trucks drivers can stop and securely recharge as part of their mandatory breaks, enabling them to get back on the road quickly and efficiently.
To support this at Markham Moor and similar sites, Shell is offering Book & Charge, a reservation system that allows fleets to guarantee the availability of chargers and to reliably plan and schedule stops, reducing driver downtime. This development represents a crucial step in helping the logistics and transport sector decarbonise their operations, both profitably and efficiently.
Whilst government incentives to support businesses begin the journey to a decarbonised fleet are important, working with a trusted supplier who understands how to navigate the growing and changing landscape of heavy-duty charging technology, available grants, energy efficiency solutions, and Total Cost of Ownership is essential. Shell have been working with fleets for over 10 years, supporting them to -decarbonise - in Germany, we have worked with Contargo, a logistic company that operate several container terminals across European Ports along with their own HGV fleet.
More about Markham Moor
Shell’s first UK truck stop to be equipped with chargers specifically designed for heavy-duty vehicles. The site is situated roughly 25 miles south of Doncaster and 25 miles Southeast of Sheffield adjacent to the A1 – a critical transport artery connecting major cities and regions across the UK.
The facility has long been a lifeline for truckers, offering an array of fuels to power their journeys as well as driver amenities. The location features a truck park with approximately 122 spaces, which are accessible around the clock with overnight security. Adjacent to the truck stop is Markham Moor station, with a little Waitrose providing drivers with access to its always-open convenience retail shop, restroom, and shower facilities.
With the addition of an up to 400kw charger at Markham Moor, this supports the area in reducing pollutants, whilst encouraging local transport and distribution companies in the area to start their transition or use our site for a fast top-up. We are excited to be offering our UK customers a full ecosystem that zero- emission heavy-duty fleets can utilise with our Shell Card and integrated invoicing solutions.
References
1 Transport and environment statistics: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
2 DNV. “Energy Transition Outlook 2023: Transport in Transition” 2023.
4 Energy Transition Outlook 2023: Transport in Transition.” 2023.
5 Truck charging and TCO study (ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com) (PDF)
6 Truck charging and TCO study (ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com) (PDF)
7 Whole Study Summary HGVs on the road to net zero.docx (transportenvironment.org) (PDF)