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A milestone for low‑carbon logistics through the Channel Tunnel
In a joint effort to advance low-carbon logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, LeShuttle Freight, Voltempo, and DAF Trucks have successfully sent the first electric heavy-duty truck through the Channel Tunnel.
The Channel Tunnel, managed by Eurotunnel, is a vital European trade corridor, carrying a quarter of all goods traded between the UK and continental Europe, with over a million trucks crossing each year with LeShuttle Freight.
It provides the only zero direct-emission way to cross the Channel, with services powered entirely by electricity.
By demonstrating that electric heavy-duty trucks can use the freight shuttle, Kuehne+Nagel, LeShuttle Freight, Voltempo, and DAF are proving that sustainable cross-Channel transport is practical, efficient and ready to scale.
As members of eFREIGHT 2030, part of the UK Government's Zero Emission heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme (ZEHID), Kuehne+Nagel, DAF and Voltempo will share their learnings and insights with other consortium members to accelerate an industry shift to low-emission transport.
The journey: 1700 km across five countries with a DAF New Generation XF
A 1,700-kilometre journey across five countries demonstrated how electric long-haul transport is already viable today.
The journey began at East Midlands Gateway, where the truck was fully charged using the UK’s first megawatt-scale electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) charging hub from Voltempo. The system can deliver up to one megawatt (MW) to a single eHGV or dynamically allocate that capacity across six vehicles simultaneously, supporting high-throughput fleet operations.
Along the route, the vehicle charged at a public Milence fast-charging station, highlighting the growing availability of high-power charging infrastructure for electric freight.
Compared to a diesel equivalent, battery-electric trucks can reduce emissions by nearly 100% when powered entirely by renewable electricity. In practice, however, national energy grids still rely on a mix of energy sources. Based on our ISO-compliant calculation and considering the actual energy mixes of the countries the truck passed through, we achieved a 67% reduction in emissions on this trip.
The journey was completed using the DAF New Generation XF, recently awarded International Truck of the Year 2026. With a real-world range of up to 500 kilometres and DC fast-charging up to 325 kilowatts (kW), the vehicle enabled efficient, reliable long-distance electric transport.
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This trip demonstrates that battery-electric trucking can handle real long-haul complexity: cross-border operations, multiple charging stops, and routes not yet fully proven. This is exactly how we accelerate the transition from experimentation to mainstream adoption.
John De Dryver
Global Road Logistics Sustainability Manager at Kuehne+Nagel
