Transport fleets join government zero emission trials

Part of the Electric Freightway Project, AF Blakemore and Son, Samworth Brothers, Boughey and United Utilities have all added eHGVs to their existing fleets, with other operators set to follow suit.

Electric Freightway, led by Gridserve, is part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “A greener transport network is a key priority for this Government, which is why our demonstrator programme aims to scale up zero emission HGVs and install the right infrastructure to decarbonise road freight. This is an excellent example of industry and government collaborating to reach net zero.”

Hitachi ZeroCarbon and Gridserve have published the Electric Freightway Project’s second report. It followed an initial report, published in March, which outlined the project’s approach and objectives.This latest update says that the consortium of more than 30 members have made good progress in the demonstration, design and implementation of eHGV infrastructure.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon has developed a data analytics platform that will compare the operational performance of diesel HGVs to eHGVs and offer insights that it hopes will accelerate the journey to electrification of organisations across the UK. Platform results will start becoming available in the next report.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon has also interviewed senior managers and drivers of HGVs ahead of electric truck deliveries to understand views on the perceived benefits such as reduced noise and environmental impact, and concerns about how range and access to charging will impact daily operations.

Furthermore, Gridserve has consulted on eHGV charging infrastructure and designed both depot-based and public high-power charging stations, with first sites expected to come online in the coming months.

“Our analysis of environmental benefits alongside total cost of ownership will help provide a strong investment case for future eHGV deployments,” said Leon Clarke, head of operations and delivery at Hitachi ZeroCarbon.

“We fundamentally believe that smart, actionable data can underpin enhanced battery health, fleet route planning and charging sessions, and so accelerate the path to electrification.”

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