A single electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) could save around 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2034 compared with a diesel equivalent, according to the final report from the Electric Freightway programme published by Hitachi ZeroCarbon and GRIDSERVE.
Real-world electric freight deployment
The report highlights the growing commercial viability of electric freight vehicles and draws on operational data gathered from UK logistics fleets participating in the Electric Freightway project.
Electric Freightway is part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme (ZEHID), funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
The programme brings together more than 30 industry partners, led by GRIDSERVE, to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks and the development of charging infrastructure.
To date, the initiative has deployed eHGVs across 25 hauliers operating on UK logistics routes, collectively covering more than two million zero-emission kilometres. The real-world trials have generated operational insights into vehicle performance, charging requirements and fleet integration.
Building the business case for electric freight
The fourth Electric Freightway report also explores the financial case for electrifying freight fleets. According to the findings, electric HGVs could reach cost parity with diesel vehicles in certain operating conditions, particularly where fleets operate high annual mileage and optimise charging between depot and en-route infrastructure.
Operational experience from participating fleets also indicates growing driver confidence, with many drivers reporting positive feedback on vehicle performance and drivability once they gain hands-on experience with electric trucks.
Nick Day, Director of Distribution, UK at ADM Milling, said:
“As a business, we are constantly seeking more sustainable solutions to service our customers’ needs and have been exploring ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions in our manufacturing processes for many years now.
“Using electric trucks was the natural next step in this process and so we started engaging with a third-party haulier to introduce electric trucks and charging solutions into our fleet and then expanded this capability through the ZEHID scheme.
“While we still have more work to do to fully embed eHGVs within our operation, we are encouraged by the progress we’ve made so far and the ZEHID project has been a great opportunity for us to gain hands-on experience operating them.”
Industry collaboration driving freight decarbonisation
The project also highlights the role of collaboration between logistics operators, infrastructure providers and technology companies in accelerating the transition to zero-emission freight transport.
Leon Clarke, Head of Operations and Delivery at Hitachi ZeroCarbon, said:
“Electric Freightway demonstrates what can be achieved when industry partners come together with a shared ambition to decarbonise road freight.
The collaboration between hauliers, infrastructure providers and technology specialists has been key to getting electric trucks on the road and generating real-world insights that will help the industry achieve its long-term net zero goals.”
Next phase: scaling zero-emission freight
With the initial deployment phase complete and electric trucks now operating across multiple fleets, the Electric Freightway programme will move into its next phase of development.
This stage will focus on collecting long-term operational data, refining charging strategies and supporting the wider transition to zero-emission freight transport.
Mike Biddle, Executive Director Net Zero at Innovate UK said:
“Electric Freightway, led by GRIDSERVE in collaboration with principal partner Hitachi ZeroCarbon, has been instrumental in supporting the early efforts towards UK road freight decarbonisation, facilitated through the UK government’s Zero Emission HGV & Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
This report reflects on the project’s extensive findings as it moves beyond the earlier deployment efforts into large scale data collection in real world operations for the next five years.”
This article was produced by the editorial team at Supply Chain Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
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