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A new electric truck from Chinese OEM Windrose has made its UK debut by taking its first charge in the UK at Fleete’s ultra-rapid charging hub at the Port of Tilbury.
The Windrose Global E700 6x4 tractor unit, arrived in the UK this week and headed to Fleete’s newly opened 5MW charging facility, where it successfully completed its first ever UK charge.
The truck, which features a distinctive centre-driver cab layout, is now set to begin a nationwide tour of logistics sites and truck charging locations to demonstrate how long-range electric trucks can operate on UK routes using high-power infrastructure.
With a battery capacity of more than 700kWh, the Global E700 uses a flexible four battery pack configuration designed for demanding freight duty cycles.
Windrose said the Global E700 can deliver a range of over 700km, even when fully loaded and when operating at high speeds.
The truck is both Megawatt Charging System (MCS) and CCS2-ready as standard, making it compatible with high-power charging networks such as Fleete Tilbury.
The 5MW site, capable of charging 16 electric trucks simultaneously, includes six Siemens Flex 540kW chargers and 12 Flex 500A dispensers across three charging islands. Each island can be upgraded to support Megawatt Charging System (MCS) capability.
The hub also includes four charging points powered by Power Electronics, featuring two NB cooled dispensers and one NB Station system, delivering up to 270kW per charging point, with upgrade capacity to 360kW.
Chris Morrison, Fleete chief executive said the arrival of the Windrose truck in the UK highlighted the growing need for high-capacity infrastructure for eHGVs: “Hosting the first UK charge for the Windrose truck is a strong demonstration of what high-power infrastructure for heavy vehicles can deliver.
“Vehicles with battery capacity of this scale need high power infrastructure that can deliver energy quickly and reliably. Shared charging hubs like Fleete Tilbury are designed to provide exactly that as more fleets begin deploying electric trucks on longer routes.”
Justin Yu, Windrose Technology head of Northern Europe, added: “Completing our first charge in the UK at Fleete’s Port of Tilbury hub is an important milestone for Windrose and a fitting place to begin the truck’s UK tour.
“Our aim is to demonstrate how the next generation of electric heavy trucks can work with high-power charging infrastructure across the UK, and the ultra-rapid capability here at Tilbury is exactly the kind of quality charging network operators will need.
“Shared charging hubs like this, with multiple ultra-rapid chargers in a strategic freight location, will play a key role in helping more fleets make the transition to electric vehicles.”
Fleete said its shared-user model is designed to give fleet operators access to reliable, high power charging infrastructure without the need to install dedicated facilities, addressing common barriers to electrification including grid capacity, land constraints and upfront infrastructure costs.
The site has been designed to accommodate additional fleet operators as demand grows.
