A developing story
From one electric rigid to a charging business.
Welch’s is a Cambridgeshire haulier with two depots, running 65 vehicles. Chris Welch is its Managing Director and the fourth generation of the family to lead the business.
Like many hauliers, Welch’s offers a range of services: general haulage, pallet, eCommerce and specialist haulage, built around the highest standards of care for its customers, its local area and the wider environment. They brought electric HGVs into their operation to enhance that customer service.
“Welch’s started with one electric rigid vehicle in 2022 for use on some of our local routes in Cambridgeshire. We wanted to find out what we didn’t know: how our drivers would adapt to an electric vehicle, how our customers would react, what we needed to change in our operation to make electric vehicles work for us.”
Chris Welch, Managing Director
That first experience was positive and in 2023 Welch’s joined the UK Government’s ZEHID eFREIGHT 2030 programme, allowing it to add electric artics to the fleet, for pallet deliveries and for a key client, the British Antarctic Survey.
As well as part-funding two trucks, the programme helped Welch’s install six-bay HyperChargers at both its Cambridge and Bedford sites. These chargers provide energy for the Welch’s vehicles and are offered to other fleets, creating a valuable new revenue stream for the business.
“We knew the trucks would add something to our business, but the opportunities from our chargers have been a bonus. We are already helping some national van fleets to charge when our trucks are working, and we expect a steady flow of users taking advantage of high speed top-up charging while they are away from their home depots.”
Chris Welch, Managing Director
