UK Advances in Green Logistics: eHGV Rollouts and Charging Infrastructure Expansion

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The UK’s green logistics sector is witnessing accelerated progress as several major players deploy zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and expand the supporting charging infrastructure. These developments mark tangible steps toward achieving national net-zero ambitions particularly in the freight and logistics domain.

Royal Mail has introduced its first eight DAF 42-tonne XD 350E electric HGVs at its Midlands and North West parcel hubs, replacing diesel trucks in ‘middle-mile’ routes. Equipped with ABB T360 chargers providing up to 60 miles of range in under 15 minutes, the vehicles are expected to save approximately one thousand tonnes of carbon each year. As part of the Electric Freightway initiative backed by over £100 million in investment (including £62.7 million from government support), the effort contributes to the wider Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.

Supply chain firm Wincanton has taken delivery of 24 electric trucks from DAF, Volvo Trucks, and Renault Trucks. These vehicles are supported by new depot-based charging infrastructure at locations including Greenford, Portbury, its Scotland Gateway Hub near Glasgow, and Northamptonshire. The deployment is forecast to reduce CO₂ emissions by 2,400 tonnes annually and forms part of Wincanton’s commitment to net zero by 2040. The project is aligned with both the Electric Freightway and eFREIGHT 2030 consortia under the ZEHID programme.

In Liverpool, the ZENFreight consortium has entered live operation with its first electric HGV, a Volvo FM Electric, under the charging infrastructure at Sandhills Business Park. The vehicle, running a closed-loop route between a fast-moving consumer goods fulfilment centre and Liverpool Port, can complete three to four delivery cycles daily with its high-capacity charger bays. This project provides an operational blueprint under ZEHID for scaling zero-emission freight nationwide.

Meanwhile, significant investment is supporting infrastructure development at key logistics hubs. Fleete has begun building a 5 MW commercial vehicle charging hub at the Port of Tilbury, funded through the Thames Freeport seed capital programme. Targeted for completion by December 2025, the site will include 16 rapid chargers – including 12 ultrafast 360 kW units and four Voltempo HyperCharge megawatt chargers serving up to 16 HGVs simultaneously.

Another major infrastructure development has been achieved by Milence, a joint venture between Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP, and Volvo Group. The group has launched its first public charging hub in the UK at Immingham, offering up to four high-performance CCS chargers across eight charging bays, each supplying as much as 400 kW. Designed for safety and comfort, the hub is located strategically near major motorways and aims to become part of a larger network of high-performance charging points.

These combined efforts—vehicle deployments and charging hub rollouts demonstrate a maturing green logistics ecosystem. The synergy between public-sector funding, industrial innovation, and private-sector ambition is creating real infrastructure and fleet momentum in the UK freight sector.

What this means:
This wave of zero-emission logistics action signals a pivotal shift in UK freight decarbonisation. For operators, it shows that transitioning is now supported by practical, scalable infrastructure and fiscal incentives. For communities near freight hubs, it promises cleaner air and reduced noise pollution. From a policy perspective, it provides real-world data to inform next-stage regulation and investment bringing the UK closer to its net-zero targets while reinforcing supply chain resilience.

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