Logistics company Russell Group has put in Scotland’s first megawatt charging system (MCS) at its Coatbridge depot for its growing fleet of battery-electric trucks, reports Peter Brown.
The MCS was installed by electric vehicle turnkey fleet solutions company amphos and delivered with funding from Innovate UK. It enables battery electric HGVs to be recharged in approximately 40 minutes using current Combined Charging System charging technology.
Planned MCS upgrades in July 2026 are expected to reduce charging times to around 20 minutes.
Russell Group has invested in three MAN eTGX 4×2 tractors for its subsidiary, John G Russell (Transport). The vehicles operate on container services during the day and blue-chip contracts at night.
Stephen Madden (pictured), head of engineering at Russell Group, said: “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. It’s highly efficient – and that transforms how we operate electric vehicles at scale.”
Each charging unit, manufactured by Vestel Mobility, can deliver up to 3.75 megawatts of high-voltage DC power. To support the new fleet, Russell Group is installing two 720kW double-port chargers and one 1.2MW double-port charger.
The hub is only the second of its kind in the UK and the first in Scotland. It follows the opening of the UK’s first megawatt charging site at East Midlands Gateway in January 2026.
Mark Oxtoby, CEO of amphos, said: “This project marks a pivotal moment for electric freight in the UK. Moving from 1MW to 3.75MW charging isn’t just an upgrade – it’s a step change that brings fully electric, high-utilisation HGV fleets within reach for fleet operators across the country.”
The project supports Russell Group’s commitment to achieving net zero across its transport and warehousing operations by 2040.
The company will deploy the new battery-electric HGVs on services throughout Scotland, with return trips to Russell’s Coatbridge rail hub carrying customer deliveries for onward transport by rail. This complements the existing electric-locomotive freight service between Daventry and Coatbridge.
