First Electric HGV Charging Hub in Wales Opens in Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• Wales’ first HGV charging hub has opened at Old Ely Transport Yard in Cardiff.
• The hub features eight 480kW dual-gun DC chargers for 16 HGV parking spaces.
• FSEW will use the facility mainly for its expanding fleet of electric trucks.
• Third parties with approved vehicles compatible with chargers can use the facilities based on commercial agreements.
• Each charger has the capacity to charge up to 190 miles of range in an hour.
• The hub is larger and more advanced compared to the previously announced version in 2025.
• Financing, designing, and installing the hub has been done by Zenobē and ADDCharge respectively.
• FSEW plans to expand its electric truck fleet up to 70 trucks by 2027.
• The firm estimates that the expansion could result in hiring up to 50 extra drivers.
• The project got backing from the UK Government’s Depot Charging Scheme.

Cardiff (Wales Times) August 19, 2026 – Wales’ first dedicated HGV charging hub has opened at the Old uk/local/cardiff/ely/">Ely Transport Yard on the Lamby Way Industrial Estate, providing high-power charging for electric heavy goods vehicles and selected third-party fleets. The facility has eight 480kW double-gun direct-current chargers distributed across 16 HGV bays, according to infrastructure contractor ADDCharge.

The hub has been developed by Cardiff-based logistics company FSEW to support its expanding electric freight operation. Its opening adds dedicated heavy-vehicle charging capacity in South Wales at a time when hauliers are seeking infrastructure capable of supporting longer-distance and higher-volume operations.

FSEW’s electric fleet includes Volvo FM Electric and Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 tractor units. The company said the new facility would primarily serve its own vehicles, although compatible vans and articulated lorries operated by other companies may use the chargers through agreed commercial arrangements.

The site is not an unrestricted public charging station in the same way as a charging facility at a motorway service area. Access for external operators will be limited to approved businesses with compatible vehicles. FSEW has not yet published charging prices, booking procedures or opening hours for third-party users.

What charging capacity does the Cardiff hub provide?

The Cardiff facility contains eight chargers rated at up to 480kW. Because the double-gun chargers can serve two vehicles, the installation provides 16 HGV charging bays.

FSEW says the chargers can add up to 190 miles of range in one hour. The actual charging performance will depend on several factors, including the vehicle model, battery condition, state of charge and operating conditions.

The high-power equipment is intended to reduce the time electric lorries spend off the road. For freight operators, charging speed is closely linked to vehicle utilisation because delivery schedules, driver availability and depot movements must be coordinated around legally required operating periods.

The hub’s design also allows FSEW to charge multiple heavy vehicles at its own base rather than relying solely on public infrastructure. That gives the company greater control over fleet planning, although the number of vehicles that can be charged at the same time remains limited by the available bays and the site’s electrical capacity.

Why is the new charging hub larger than planned?

The completed installation is larger and more powerful than the project initially announced by FSEW and Zenobē.

When FSEW appointed Zenobē as its infrastructure partner in June 2025, the original plan involved four 400kW DC chargers, with the possibility of expanding the site at a later stage. The operational hub instead opened with eight chargers, each rated at up to 480kW.

Zenobē financed, designed and delivered the charging infrastructure. ADDCharge carried out the electrical engineering, groundworks and charger installation, while ZEROVA Technologies supplied the chargers.

ADDCharge said the installation was completed in 12 weeks, although other construction work continued at the site. The expansion from the original four-charger plan indicates that the project was developed to provide greater capacity from the outset rather than relying on a later upgrade.

The larger installation may allow FSEW to support more vehicles as its electric fleet expands. It could also provide a basis for limited commercial access by approved external operators, subject to the company’s operational requirements and charging arrangements.

What did FSEW say about the development?

FSEW managing director Geoff Tomlinson described the hub as evidence that heavy-freight electrification was becoming commercially viable.

Tomlinson said accessible high-power charging could help address two concerns frequently associated with electric heavy goods vehicles: vehicle range and the availability of suitable charging infrastructure.

FSEW has not disclosed the total cost of the development or the value of any public funding connected with the project. The company initially financed the hub using its own funds before securing a grant through the UK Government’s Depot Charging Scheme.

The scheme is intended to help operators install charging infrastructure for battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches. During the first 2026 application window, funding covered up to 70% of eligible chargepoint and civil-engineering costs, subject to a maximum of £1 million per organisation.

A second funding window is expected to open in October 2026, although its grant rates have not yet been confirmed.trans

How will the hub support FSEW’s electric fleet?

FSEW plans to increase its electric fleet to 70 vehicles by 2027. The Cardiff charging hub is expected to serve as a central part of that expansion by providing dedicated charging for the company’s electric trucks.

The operator said the growth of its fleet and operations could support the recruitment of up to 50 additional drivers. That figure represents a potential employment impact linked to the company’s expansion plans, rather than a confirmed number of immediate vacancies.

FSEW previously removed conventional diesel vehicles from its fleet at the end of 2024. Its current operations combine battery-electric HGVs with trucks powered by biomethane.

The company has experience operating electric articulated lorries in commercial freight work. It was involved in introducing electric articulated lorries on Tesco operations in Wales in 2021.

More recently, FSEW launched an electric transport service between Tesco-related facilities in Maesteg and Magor, using Volvo, DAF and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The new Cardiff hub is expected to provide additional infrastructure for these types of operations.

What is the GreenFlow service?

The Cardiff facility will also become the physical base for FSEW’s GreenFlow service.

Through GreenFlow, FSEW offers customers lower-carbon freight movements across road, rail, sea and air. The service forms part of the company’s wider approach to reducing the environmental impact of logistics operations.

The new hub will therefore serve two connected purposes. First, it will provide charging capacity for FSEW’s electric trucks. Secondly, it will support the company’s broader lower-carbon freight proposition by giving its operations a dedicated base for electric heavy vehicles.

The development does not mean that all freight movements using the facility will be electric. FSEW’s current transport operations also include biomethane-powered trucks, and access to the charging hub will depend on vehicle compatibility and operational arrangements.

What does the Cardiff hub mean for other hauliers?

The opening provides additional charging infrastructure for heavy vehicles in South Wales, but its immediate availability to other hauliers will be limited.

Approved third-party operators may be able to use the site if they have compatible vehicles and agree commercial terms with FSEW. However, the absence of published pricing, booking arrangements and opening hours means that external operators do not yet have a complete public access framework.

For hauliers considering electric HGVs, the hub may demonstrate how depot-based charging can be integrated into a logistics operation. A dedicated site can allow operators to plan charging around vehicle routes, loading schedules and driver shifts.

The facility may also be relevant to companies operating regular freight routes in South Wales. However, businesses will need to assess whether the hub’s access conditions, location and charging availability match their own schedules before relying on it as part of their transport network.

The development adds capacity but does not remove the wider challenges facing electric HGV adoption. Operators still need to consider vehicle purchase costs, payload requirements, route lengths, battery performance, electricity supply and the availability of charging at other locations.

Why is dedicated HGV charging important?

Heavy goods vehicles generally require more powerful charging equipment and more space than passenger cars. Their size, weight and operating patterns mean that ordinary car-charging sites are not necessarily suitable for articulated lorries.

A dedicated HGV hub can provide larger bays, charging equipment designed for heavy vehicles and access arrangements suited to commercial operators. It can also reduce the risk of electric trucks competing with smaller vehicles for limited charging spaces.

The Cardiff facility is particularly significant for FSEW because it has been developed alongside the company’s fleet strategy. Rather than treating charging as a separate infrastructure project, FSEW is linking the hub to its plans for expanding electric freight operations.

The chargers’ stated ability to add up to 190 miles of range in one hour could help support vehicles that return to the depot between assignments. Nevertheless, the precise benefit will differ between vehicles and routes, and the stated range figure should not be treated as a guaranteed result for every charging session.

What happens next for the Cardiff facility?

FSEW’s next major objective is to expand its electric fleet to 70 vehicles by 2027. The new charging hub will need to support that growth while maintaining reliable access for vehicles already operating from the site.

The company may also develop its commercial arrangements for approved third-party fleets. Details such as pricing, reservations, access times and eligibility will determine how useful the facility becomes to other transport operators.

The expected second funding window under the Depot Charging Scheme could also influence future depot-charging projects. If grant support remains available at an attractive level, other operators may consider developing similar facilities for electric vans, HGVs and coaches.

For the Cardiff hub, the immediate focus will be operational: integrating the chargers into daily freight movements, maintaining vehicle availability and expanding FSEW’s electric transport capacity.

Background to Wales’ first dedicated HGV charging hub

The Cardiff project began as a planned installation of four 400kW DC chargers after FSEW appointed Zenobē as its infrastructure partner in June 2025. The final facility opened with eight 480kW chargers across 16 HGV bays, making it more powerful than the original plan.

FSEW has been involved in electric freight operations in Wales since the introduction of electric articulated lorries on commercial Tesco work in 2021. The company later expanded its lower-carbon transport activity through electric vehicles and biomethane-powered trucks.

The project was initially funded by FSEW before receiving support through the UK Government’s Depot Charging Scheme. Zenobē delivered the infrastructure, ADDCharge completed the engineering and installation work, and ZEROVA Technologies supplied the chargers.

The hub is located at the Old Ely Transport Yard on the Lamby Way Industrial Estate in Cardiff. It is primarily intended for FSEW’s fleet, with limited access for approved third-party operators using compatible vehicles.

How could the hub affect Welsh hauliers and freight customers?

The Cardiff hub could give Welsh hauliers another option for operating and charging electric HGVs, particularly companies with routes that pass through or return to South Wales. Its effect on the wider freight sector will depend on access terms, reliability, pricing and the pace at which FSEW expands the facility’s external use.

For freight customers, the development may increase the availability of lower-carbon transport services offered by FSEW and its GreenFlow division. However, the hub itself will not automatically make every delivery electric, and transport choices will continue to depend on route requirements, vehicle availability and commercial conditions.

For drivers and local communities, FSEW’s planned fleet expansion could create employment opportunities and increase the use of electric heavy vehicles in the region. The company has linked the development to the potential recruitment of up to 50 additional drivers, although that remains an expansion estimate rather than a confirmed recruitment programme.

For other logistics companies, the project may offer a practical example of how high-power depot charging can be introduced alongside fleet replacement. It could encourage further investment if operators conclude that electric HGVs can meet their operational needs.

The most immediate effect is likely to be increased charging capacity for FSEW’s own vehicles. Broader benefits for Welsh hauliers will depend on whether the hub develops into a dependable commercial charging option for approved external fleets.