UK Freight Green Transition Accelerates with Electric and Hydrogen HGVs

Welcome to Net Zero News, your daily briefing on the UK’s transition to a low-carbon future.

The UK freight sector is rapidly shifting towards decarbonisation, driven by increased electric vehicle adoption, substantial government support, and innovation in infrastructure. A recent surge in zero-emission heavy goods vehicle (HGV) uptake illustrates significant momentum in sustainable logistics.

Sales of zero-emission HGVs have surged nearly four-fold in the latest quarter, with 225 new units sold and a record 2.4% market share. So far in 2025, 408 zero-emission trucks have been registered – a year-on-year jump of 145.8%. Meanwhile, cumulative registrations in the first half of the year climbed 59.1% compared to the same period in 2024, with approximately 183 units delivered. The UK now stands as Europe’s second-largest zero-emission HGV market by volume.

Numeric advances in fleets coincide with major operator investments. Amazon has placed a record order for 160 electric Mercedes‑Benz eActros 600 trucks, each offering over 310 miles of range and up to 22 tonne payload capacity. These trucks will serve Amazon’s middle-mile routes across the UK. Leasing companies and major logistics operators are following suit. Royal Mail recently rolled out part of a £100m-plus investment in the Electric Freightway public charging network, offering over 200 chargers at up to 350 kW capacity and supporting more than 140 eHGVs nationwide. M&S has also launched five battery‑electric HGVs across its supply chain under the eFREIGHT 2030 project to replace diesel trucks on key urban routes.

Hydrogen and biofuels also feature prominently in the transition. The ZEHID‑backed ZENFreight consortium, including John G Russell (Transport), is trialling three battery-electric HGVs and three hydrogen fuel cell HGVs, alongside depot-based charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The UK Government is further supporting alternative fuel routes, with Innovate UK and Zemo Partnership facilitating hubs for hydrogen and megawatt charging under the ZEHID programme.

On the policy side, the Government has allocated extra £18 million to the Plug‑in Truck Grant for 2025/26, offering up to £120,000 off the purchase of large electric trucks, enhancing affordability for operators. Infrastructure rollout is receiving support via programmes like SCALE (Scotland Charging to Accelerate Logistics Electrification), aiming to accelerate eHGV adoption across Scotland via a £2 million Market Readiness Fund and pilot electric fleet deployments.

Meanwhile, industry-led initiatives such as the ‘12 Pillars of Change’ roadmap from the Welch Group are creating pathways to a net-zero freight sector. This industry-led framework, launched via the TwentyForty platform, sets out practical pillars to guide HGV decarbonisation ahead of the 2040 fossil-fuel vehicle sales ban.

These developments highlight convergence across operators, policy and innovation in delivering low-carbon freight. Yet challenges remain in scaling up infrastructure capacity, managing grid constraints, and ensuring long-term financing certainty for operators making long procurement cycles.

What this means:
The UK freight sector is moving decisively towards zero emissions, backed by strong government incentives, growing infrastructure, and ambition from major logistics players. As electric and hydrogen freight solutions gain traction, the trajectory toward net zero appears increasingly viable though sustained policy clarity, investment in charging networks, and operational readiness will be crucial.

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