Voltempo becomes first electric freight firm to join Includability employer scheme

The Birmingham-based manufacturer, which develops megawatt-scale charging systems for commercial vehicle fleets, said the move reflects its commitment to developing an inclusive workplace as the electric freight industry expands.

Voltempo designs and manufactures its HyperCharger technology in the UK, with systems capable of delivering more than 1MW of dynamically distributed power. The technology can recharge an electric HGV in around 30 minutes or distribute charging capacity across multiple vehicles between operating shifts.

The company is also leading the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium, which is developing a national network of megawatt charging hubs to support the transition to zero-emission freight. Earlier this year,

Voltempo commissioned the UK’s first megawatt-scale charging hub for electric HGVs at Kuehne+Nagel’s East Midlands Gateway site, working with fleet operators including Marks & Spencer, Wincanton, Maritime and Menzies.

As part of its membership of Includability, Voltempo will undertake the organisation’s Cultural Roadmap programme, which reviews businesses across six areas including diversity and inclusion, mental health, wellbeing, talent management, sustainability and leadership.

Voltempo CEO Simon Smith said the rapid growth of the electric freight sector meant attracting and retaining skilled employees would be increasingly important.

“The electric freight sector is extraordinarily good at solving hard technical problems. We can talk all day about megawatt charging, grid capacity and route optimisation. But if you ask most companies in this space about their approach to inclusion, psychological safety or leadership development, you’ll get a much vaguer answer,” he said.

“That’s a problem. Not just ethically, but commercially. The talent this sector needs to deliver on its ambitions isn’t going to come from the same narrow pipeline it always has. We want to be the kind of company that the next generation of engineers, operators and leaders actually wants to work for.”

Udochukwu Umeh, Voltempo people m,anager, said the review would help the business build a stronger organisational culture as it grows.

“When you’re in a fast-moving business in a fast-moving sector, it’s easy for culture to become reactive. The Cultural Roadmap gives us a real framework to work from – not a set of policies to tick off, but a genuine picture of where we are and where we want to get to,” he said.

Includability CEO and co-founder James Pravato said Voltempo’s decision highlighted the increasing focus on people and leadership within the transport sector alongside investment in new technology.

“Growth has to be supported by culture, people and leadership,” he said.

“The Cultural Roadmap will give Voltempo a practical, evidence-led view of where it is now and how it can continue building a workplace that performs as the business scales.”