bp pulse, bp’s electric vehicle charging brand, has acquired one of the largest truck stops in Europe, Ashford International Truckstop in Kent, as part of its drive to support heavy electric vehicle fleets as they electrify.
Located off Junction 10 and 10a of the M20, Ashford International Truckstop is close to Dover, the UK’s busiest ferry port, and LeShuttle Freight via the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone.
Approximately 3.5 million Heavy Goods Vehicles travel across the channel via the port of Dover and Eurotunnel each year.
The acquisition presents bp with the opportunity to help meet the comprehensive needs of UK and European HGV operators transitioning to EVs.
The site has the capacity to host approximately 20 mega-watt chargers (MCS), 10 x 400kW and 125 x 100kW chargers. This capacity is subject to power connection availability and the pace of electrification in the UK and European road freight sector. It could enable bp pulse to install a range of charging options suitable for both on-the-go and overnight HGVs.
The first mega-watt chargers are expected to be in place from 2026. A mega-watt charger has the potential to fully charge an HGV in up to 45 minutes, enabling an onward range of ~310 miles (500km) in a single charge1, depending on EV model, battery, the weather and driving conditions.
“For fleet operators to consider going electric, they must be confident that the infrastructure is in place to support them,” said Stefan von Dobschuetz, general manager bp pulse Europe.
“The location of this truck stop aligns with our mission to provide accessible and strategically positioned charging infrastructure for our customers along the major truck corridors in Europe,” he said.
bp aims to create a network of mobility hubs along key logistics corridors across UK and Europe providing freight operators with a range of energy options, including traditional fuels to support its fleet customers at every stage of their decarbonisation journey.
In January 2023, bp launched Europe’s first truck charging corridor along a 600km stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor across Germany. 21 Aral pulse (bp’s brand in Germany) EV truck stops are already operational in Germany enabling an electric truck to cover over 750km across multiple routes throughout Germany. Once the EV chargers are installed on the acquired site, bp pulse is set to establish a link between the UK and its German charging corridor to further encourage HGV operators to shift to electric.
