Hitachi : technology to deliver the UK's most advanced Electric Heavy Goods Vehicle charging network

Hitachi technology to deliver the UK's most advanced Electric Heavy Goods

Vehicle charging network

• Hitachi ZeroCarbon selected as principal partner in GRIDSERVE's pioneering project to help accelerate UK's transition to battery-powered electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGV)
• Industry-ledproject aims to deliver one of the biggest and most advanced eHGV charging network in the world.

London, 19 October 2023 - Hitachi ZeroCarbon, a division of Hitachi Europe Ltd., has been chosen as the principal partner in GRIDSERVE's 'Electric Freightway' project which will see around 140 eHGVs integrated into a charging network across 15 motorway charging sites and more than 10 commercial depot charging locations.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon's project role will provide high-quality data and deliver validated insights from battery electric HGV's operating in the real-world over a five-year period. This will involve analysing routes, vehicle and charging session data including the optimisation of battery health, range and charging infrastructure monitoring, and evidence-based Total Cost of Ownership modelling to support investment business cases for future eHGV deployments.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon will bring its extensive knowledge from the Optimise Primeproject, which included partners Royal Mail and Uber, and looked at solutions to enable networks and fleet operators prepare for the transition to commercial electric vehicles. The data architecture for the project will be based on Lumada, Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services and technologies platform, which will be leveraged to gather data and provide learning, insights and data sets which will inform future eHGV UK strategy.

The aim of the Electric Freightway project, which is taking place from July 2023 and running until 2025, is to test and show that eHGVs are ready to replace diesel HGVs and can continue to deliver the same service when the right infrastructure, systems, processes, and business models are deployed. The project aims to quantify the total cost of ownership for eHGVs relative to their diesel counterparts without government policies, grants, and subsidies.

Ram Ramachander, Chief Executive of Hitachi ZeroCarbon said, "Hitachi is committed to being a climate change innovator, and this means bringing our next-generation technologies and strong sector expertise to the Electric Freightway project. Freight transport is a large contributor to global CO2 emissions, so decarbonising the sector is vital to meet net zero targets. We are looking forward to working alongside GRIDSERVE and the wider consortium to showcase the technologies that exist today which will help deliver a zero-carbon future".

The consortium of 33 Partner and Member companies is part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator Programme and is funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Andrew Barr, President of Hitachi Europe Ltd., said: "Decarbonisation of the heavy goods sector is a crucial component of the electrification of the entire transport sector. EMEA is leading the way with decarbonisation programmes and with our knowledge of energy, mobility and digital, combined with learnings from Optimise Prime, Hitachi can play a unique role in reshaping how goods are transported across Europe and beyond."

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To find out more about Hitachi's ZeroCarbon's mission to deliver end-to-end decarbonisation

solutions visit:https://zerocarbon.hitachi.com/

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About Hitachi ZeroCarbon:

Hitachi ZeroCarbon's mission is to provide end-to-end solutions to decarbonise commercial vehicle fleets globally, helping them to accelerate electrification and sustainability, reduce battery risk and total cost of ownership, and generate new revenues. Deploying data analytics and digital optimisation technologies, we provide the platform to optimise battery performance and life, charge EV fleets and decarbonise sites and depots through a Battery Charging and Monitoring Service (BCMS) model. Through digital optimisation, our solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of commercial vehicle fleets, offering a range of charging options that maximises fleet efficiency and minimises costs. These solutions are

built on the foundation of leading the innovation programme Optimise Prime, the world's

largest commercial EV trial of more than 8,000 vehicles. Leveraging Hitachi's global reach and industry experience, we offer battery financing solutions to help accelerate electric fleet transition, reduce capital expenditure, and maximise the residual value of assets.

Hitachi Europe Ltd:

Hitachi Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., is headquartered in Stoke Poges, UK. The company is focused on its Social Innovation Business - delivering innovations that answer society's challenges. Hitachi Europe and its subsidiary companies offers a broad range of information & telecommunication systems; rail systems, power and industrial systems; industrial components & equipment; automotive systems, digital media & consumer products and others with operations and research & development Laboratories across EMEA. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.eu.

Note to Editors

PROJECT BACKGROUND

'Electric Freightway' is a UK government and industry-funded project to support zero

emission HGV and infrastructure. A total of £62.7 million of Government funding has been secured via Innovate UK and the Department for Transport (DfT).

The project will bring onboard around 140 eHGVs supported by High Power charging sites across the major road network and more than 10 commercial depot charging locations. In total, over 200 High Power chargers will be installed including the demonstration of at least two x 1 megawatt capacity High Power chargers.

Spanning a total of seven years - two years of infrastructure and fleet set up and five years of data collection, the aim is to learn valuable insights into the electrification of eHGVs to support and accelerate the ongoing transition. The consortium of 20 main partners can benefit from part of a £62.7million of grant funding to bring this project to life, with other consortium members contributing data and learning to the project.

The eHGV battery electric trucks will be brought onto fleets by UK-based companies to support the movement of goods around the country. The new charging infrastructure will be supplied by 100% net zero energy to ensure fleets are delivering on their net zero ambitions with the switch to battery electric heavy goods vehicles.

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The overarching ambition behind the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme is to increase operator confidence and UK government understanding of various eHGVs and their infrastructure. The demonstration of eHGV technologies at scale within the UK will inform future decision making via data collection and dissemination activities. This project is supported within the second phase of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme. The first £20m phase ran from 2022-2023 and included the DAF Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT) project.

CONSORTIUM PARTNERS AND ROLES

Lead partner: GRIDSERVE

The lead partner will develop, deliver and operate the network of charging hubs at the motorway service areas as well as the commercial depot charging solutions, and underlying technology platform to provide a seamless charging experience. GRIDSERVE will also source and report data for the project.

Principal partner: Hitachi Europe Ltd

The principal partner will collate, analyse and report on data throughout the project, leveraging experience from similar EV demonstration projects such as Optimise Prime. The reports and outputs will inform stakeholders, the wider market and ideally government policy to drive the further decarbonisation of commercial fleets.

Hauliers: A.F.Blakemore and Son Limited, Amazon UK Services Ltd, Fergusons Transport Limited, Kuehne + Nagel Limited, Maritime Transport Limited, Royal Mail, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, United Utilities Water Limited

These hauliers will purchase or lease eHGVs from the project's vehicle manufacturer partners to use them in their business-as-usual operations whilst utilising the combination of new Motorway Service Area and depot charging infrastructure. Feedback and data will be collected from these vehicles along with information on routing and scheduling to inform and optimise the project on an ongoing basis.

Charging location partners: Moto Hospitality Limited, DCC Energy UK Ltd., British Land Company plc, Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited

Chargers will be installed on well used motorway routes across the UK and also at depot and truck stop locations. These members of the consortium offer motorway service locations frequently used by hauliers, busy depots at factory sites and HGV dedicated truck stops during transitionary phases of routes. Data and feedback will be gathered as part of the project.

Leasing partners: Mitsubishi HC Capital UK Plc., PACCAR Financial plc, Volvo Financial Services UK.

These consortium members will lease vehicles to the hauliers involved in the project, where required offering an alternative solution to outright purchase of the vehicles.

OEM partners: Volvo Trucks UK Limited, Renault Trucks Commercials Limited and DAF Trucks Ltd.

The eHGVs will be sourced from multiple manufacturers for hauliers to purchase or lease from the leasing providers involved in the project.

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Consortium Members - additionally we have a suite of hauliers and affiliated companies that will engage in the Project indirectly via the named Partners above. More announcements to follow.

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Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.

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