A vast Kent lorry park is to be transformed into a super-charging hub for a new generation of electric HGVs.

It follows the acquisition of the Ashford International Truckstop off junction 10/10a of the M20 by BP Pulse.

The company plans to install 20 megawatt electric vehicle (EV) charging bays, capable of fully boosting an HGV in 45 minutes, giving the vehicle an onward range of up to 310 miles.

BP Pulse says the site will link with the company’s German ‘charging corridors’ which stretch 750km across the country.

The Ashford Truckstop is currently owned by the GSE Group with the 21-acre site already offering 660 secure parking bays and convenience services for lorry drivers.

As part of the agreement, BP Pulse will lease back the site to the GSE Group, where the truckstop will continue to operate the existing facilities and secure parking on a long-term lease. BP Pulse will operate and manage the EV charging infrastructure.

About 3.5 million lorries travel across the channel via the port of Dover and Eurotunnel every year. BP says the acquisition presents the company with the opportunity to help meet the comprehensive needs of UK and European HGV operators transitioning to EVs.

Chairman of GSE Group, Darrell Healey, said: “We know the industry, including many of our clients, want to go electric.

“They will need convenient and quick charging infrastructure in the right locations, which is why the combination of the truck stop at Ashford and BP Pulse works so well.

“Our knowledge and experience of operating arguably the best truck stop in the UK, combined with BP Pulse’s capabilities in building the EV charging infrastructure required by our existing and future customers, is a perfect partnership. We are looking forward to seeing our site evolve and serve such E-Trucks and to continue to explore other potential truck stop projects in the UK.”

Stefan von Dobschuetz, general manager of BP Pulse Europe, added: “For fleet operators to consider going electric, they must be confident that the infrastructure is in place to support them. That is why we are thrilled to have secured the land to a crucial site near Dover as we strive to meet the evolving needs of HGV operators transitioning to EVs.”

The first mega-watt chargers are expected to be operational in 2026.

The Department for Transport say there was a significant increase in the number of electric HGV registrations in the first quarter of 2023, with 366 compared to 68 for the same period in 2022.

However, the figures also show how electric lorries still constitute a very small percentage of total commercial vehicle registrations at just 3%.