Marlborough Highways has completed a pilot project to test mobile charging technology for electric construction plant on a busy urban site in the London Borough of Islington.
The trial involved deploying a Volvo ECR25 Electric compact excavator for carriageway breakout works at the junction of Essex Road and Canonbury Road.
Due to the absence of mains power on site, Marlborough, an independent highway services provider, partnered with mobile charging provider Charge Fairy to deliver electricity directly to the machine.
The project aimed to maintain productivity by coordinating mobile charging sessions with scheduled breaks and end-of-day downtime, enabling the excavator to operate without interruption.
Marlborough said the collaboration demonstrated how electric plant could be used effectively on urban sites where access to fixed charging infrastructure is limited.
Partners supporting the trial included Islington Council, Volvo Construction Equipment and SMT GB. According to Marlborough, the trial forms part of its wider strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2025.
Matthew Hoiles, head of transport and plant at Marlborough, said: “Running electric plant in an urban environment has always been a challenge, but by bringing power directly to the machines, we’ve proven it can be done efficiently, safely and with minimal disruption.”
Other project partners described the trial as an example of collaborative efforts to enable lower-emission construction activities.
Ed Lea, founder of Charge Fairy, said the pilot had demonstrated the viability of on-demand charging for electric construction equipment and suggested that similar approaches could be scaled to other projects.
Islington Council, which supports the adoption of sustainable technologies, welcomed the initiative.
Achievements and innovations in EV charging infrastructure will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
