Amphos delivers Scotland’s first megawatt charging hub

UK electrification specialist Amphos has commissioned Scotland’s first megawatt-scale charging hub for battery-electric heavy goods vehicles for logistics provider Russell Group. Located in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, the project includes CCS and MCS chargers.

Amphos russel group vestel mcs charging stations dc scotland — Image: Amphos

To support the fleet, Russell Group is installing two 720 kW double-port chargers (CCS) and one 1.2 MW double-port charger (MCS). The charging units are supplied by Vestel Mobility. Moreover, the site has already been prepared for an expansion in the future, as the total capacity is for 3.75MW – so more than double the current connection of 1.4 MW.

Russell Group has also added three fully electric articulated trucks to its fleet as part of the project. The three electric MAN eTGX4x2 tractor can carry full 42-tonne loads and offer a range of more than 430 kilometres per charge. These trucks currently only have a CCS inlet and are charged in around 40 minutes. However, a spokesperson confirmed that they will be upgraded to also receive an MCS inlet by July, which would make them ‘the first in the UK.’

The charging hub currently uses CCS technology, as Russel Group’s current e-truck fleet does not have MCS. It means the trucks are currently charged in around 40 minutes. However, the logistics company is retrofitting its electric trucks, so from July, they will be the first vehicles using MCS in the UK, a company spokesperson told electrive. That is ‘expected to reduce charging times to around 20 minutes – comparable to a standard driver rest break.’

These trucks will operate on logistics services for Tesco in Scotland. Return journeys to Russell’s Coatbridge rail hub will carry Tesco store deliveries for onward transport by rail, complementing the existing electric-locomotive freight service between Daventry and Coatbridge.

According to Amphos, the Coatbridge site is the second megawatt charging hub for electric trucks in the UK and the first in Scotland. The company acted as the Independent Connections Provider (ICP) for the project and was responsible for the design and installation of the charging infrastructure. The project was funded in part by funding from Innovate UK.

“Megawatt charging allows us to bring a heavy goods vehicle in, charge it during a driver’s break, and send it straight back out fully charged,” said Stephen Madden, Head of Engineering at Russell Group. “It’s highly efficient – and that transforms how we operate electric vehicles at scale.”

Information via e-mail (charging stations), johngrussell.co.uk (trucks)