Decarbonising inbound automotive freight

Yusen Logistics will use ten electric trucks on the Nissan logistics project, supplied by Volvo Trucks.
Yusen Logistics

In partnership with Nissan and Volvo Trucks UK, Yusen Logistics will electrify key inbound supply routes to Sunderland in a major trial under the UK’s Electric Freightway initiative.

Yusen Logistics will start using electric trucks to deliver automotive parts from around the UK to Nissan’s plant in Sunderland as part of a trial project running between September 2025 and September 2030. The first test delivery has been carried out covering 703km and Yusen will use ten electric trucks in total, supplied by Volvo Trucks UK.

The trial is part of Electric Freightway, a £100m+ ($134m+) project funded by the UK Government through Innovate UK, which aims to develop the biggest and most advanced electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) charging network in the world. Gridserve is the lead partner among over 30 companies that have come together to further the transition to net zero transport in the UK. Nissan is a location partner and along with Volvo Trucks, partners include DAF Trucks and Renault Trucks UK. 

In the initial two-year procurement phase of the project, eHGV charging hubs will be installed at motorway services areas to support long distance travel around major trunk roads in the UK. The project also includes more than ten commercial depot charging locations for eHGVs, with some of these supporting shared access for multiple fleets. While Yusen Logistics will assess charge distance on full deployment it expects to get around 280km from the etrucks per charge, subject to weight and weather conditions.

The Yusen trucks will collect parts from Nissan’s UK supply base, including from the Midlands to Port of Tyne. Yusen Logistics UK provides Nissan with a collection services from as far south as Porchester, across to Welsh valleys and to the Midlands region, with delivery to the Leeds cross dock and and on to Nissan Sunderland. 

The eHGV trucks will be able to charge at Yusen Logistics’ pallet and bulk storage warehouse in Derby, which is equipped to charge up to three trucks at a time. The Yusen Logistics cross dock in Leeds, meanwhile, is equipped with three 360kw and seven 43kw eHGV charging bays. According to Yusen, the average charger speed is 250kwh with an average time to charge being 2.5 hours to full capacity. 

“Our Leeds and Derby sites were selected for the trial due to their strategic importance in supporting our customer, Nissan,” said Ray Blackham, regional general manager of Yusen Logistics UK. “This initiative has been made possible through close collaboration with Nissan and reflects our shared commitment to sustainability.”

Charging in Sunderland

The etrucks will also be able to charge at the Nissan Sunderland plant, which last month unveiled a £1.4m charging station for eHGVs. It has seven charging points, capable of powering up to ten eHGVs simultaneously. The station will initially serve 25 etrucks that will together travel more than 2.4m km a year, saving around 1,500 tonnes of CO2. Along with Yusen Logistics, Nissan is also partnering with transport providers Fergusons and BCA. 

Nissan said the station will support 60 UK eHGV deliveries to the plant daily and is the start of the plant’s journey towards electrifying its supply chain. The trucks will collect parts from Nissan’s UK supply, as well as delivering finished vehicles to and from the Port of Tyne.

“It is fantastic for our plant to be leading the charge to an electrified supply chain with this project,” said Michael Simpson, vice-president of supply chain management at Nissan in the Amieo region (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania). “We welcome the support we’ve received from our partners to bring the charging station to life and we’re proud of what we have achieved. The charging station looks brilliant and is a big step forward in Nissan’s EV360 vision, which brings together electric vehicles, zero carbon energy and battery manufacturing.” 

Yusen Logistics has also invested in an 11-hectare Sustainable Distribution Centre (SDC) at the Segro Logistics Park in Northampton UK, which will open in early 2026. Solar panels will power the automated technology used for pallet storage operations. By automating site operations, Yusen Logistics said it aims to streamline processes and support sustainability goals. The facility has been awarded a Breeam Outstanding rating for design.