In a joint effort to advance low-carbon logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, LeShuttle Freight, Voltempo, and DAF Trucks have successfully sent the first electric heavy-goods vehicle (eHGV) through the Channel Tunnel. 

The Channel Tunnel, managed and operated by Eurotunnel, is a vital European trade corridor. Through its LeShuttle Freight services, it carries a quarter of all goods traded in value between the UK and continental Europe, with over a million trucks crossing each year. As the leader in low-carbon transportation, Eurotunnel offers the only zero-direct-emission way to cross the Channel, with services powered entirely by electricity. 

By demonstrating that eHGVs can use LeShuttle Freight, this partnership accelerates the industry’s shift to more sustainable logistics and proves that with Eurotunnel, sustainable cross-Channel transport is practical, efficient and ready to scale. 

As members of eFREIGHT 2030, part of the UK Government's Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme (ZEHID), Kuehne+Nagel, DAF and Voltempo will share their learnings and insights from this ground-breaking trip to help accelerate the shift to lowemission transport. eFREIGHT 2030 is funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. 

The journey: 1,700 km across five countries with a DAF New Generation XF 

The journey began at Kuehne+Nagel's East Midlands Gateway depot in the UK where the truck was loaded with 12-tonnes of freight before being fully charged using the depot’s Voltempo HyperCharger – the UK’s first megawatt-scale charging system. Formally opened on 15 January with Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in attendance, the Kuehne+Nagel six-bay hub is capable of delivering charge rates of up to one megawatt (MW), or to dynamically allocate the 1MW capacity across six trucks at once. 

Along the 1,700 km round-trip route to Kuehne+Nagel’s depot in Haiger (Germany), the two person crew topped up at public charging hubs operated by Gridserve (UK), and Milence in Dunkirk (France) and Maasmechelen (Belgium), showcasing the growing accessibility of fast charging infrastructure for long-haul electric freight. 

The vehicle used for this milestone was the DAF New Generation XF, recently awarded the prestigious International Truck of the Year 2026. This recognition highlights its advanced engineering, efficiency, and readiness for the future of decarbonised transport. The vehicle provides a real-world range of up to 500 km (310 miles) on a single charge and supports DC charging up to 325kW, enabling rapid top-ups to make long-haul daily journeys of up to 1,000 km a reality.

LeShuttle Freight