UK Freight Sector Accelerates Green Logistics Transition

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

Recent months have witnessed ambitious strides in decarbonising the UK’s logistics and freight sector, with multiple pioneering initiatives signalling a meaningful shift from diesel-dependent operations to zero-emission alternatives.

Leading the charge, the ZENFreight consortium has successfully deployed its first electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) into service. Operating out of a Liverpool depot with dedicated high-capacity charging infrastructure, this Volvo electric HGV operates on a closed-loop route between a Merseyside FMCG fulfilment centre and Liverpool Port, enabling three to four delivery cycles per day on a single two-hour charge. This marks a pivotal milestone under the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, backed by UK Government funding and spearheaded by Innovate UK.

Concurrently, the Electric Freightway initiative coordinated by Hitachi ZeroCarbon and GRIDSERVE has reported that participating fleets have collectively surpassed half a million zero-emission miles, a significant indication of progress towards viable total cost of ownership parity with diesel HGVs. This programme continues to expand across motorway services and depot charging locations as part of the broader ZEHID delivery rollout.

Retail and logistics operators are also driving change. Wincanton has introduced 24 new electric-powered trucks from leading manufacturers such as DAF, Volvo and Renault ‒ projected to reduce CO₂ emissions by 2,400 tonnes annually ‒ supported by charging infrastructure at key sites including Greenford, Portbury, Scotland Gateway Hub, and The WEB in Northamptonshire. Similarly, Marks & Spencer has added 85 zero- or low-emission vehicles five battery-electric HGVs and multiple biomethane-powered compressed natural gas trucks equating to nearly 10% of its transport fleet, marking their continued progress under the Plan A Net Zero by 2040 strategy.

Industry bodies and stakeholder coalitions are urging pragmatic policy and low-carbon fuel inclusion. Logistics UK and the Sustainable Logistics Forum have called for a technology-neutral approach, emphasising the role of biomethane and liquid renewable fuels, particularly for vehicles in the 33–44 tonne category. Green Alliance, in its Charging Ahead report, has identified infrastructure planning, grid capacity, vehicle availability, and regulatory friction as significant barriers to eHGV adoption. It proposes a national strategy focused on de-risking investment, reforming planning frameworks, and fostering public-private collaboration.

On the policy front, Zemo Partnership recently published a ‘Map of Missing Policies’ following a multi-stakeholder consultation. The report, presented at a parliamentary roundtable, underscores urgent gaps in net zero transport policy across sub-sectors such as commercial vehicles, advocating for coordinated strategic frameworks to accelerate decarbonisation. In Wales, the Welsh Government has launched the ‘Moving to Zero’ initiative with Zemo Partnership to implement short- and medium-term decarbonisation measures in commercial vehicle fleets, focusing on collaborative stakeholder engagement and just transition for operators.

Scotland is also advancing its efforts. The SCALE consortium Scotland Charging to Accelerate Logistics Electrification led by Voltempo and backed by Transport Scotland’s £2 million HGV Market Readiness Fund aims to deploy electric trucks across the country. If approved in early 2026, the rollout would begin later that year, enhancing national charging infrastructure and supporting transition readiness for varied operators.

Policy pressure persists, with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) warning that decarbonisation is at risk without government action. A survey revealed that 70% of HGV operators and 75% of coach operators currently have no plans to adopt zero-emission vehicles, citing concerns around vehicle range, capital costs, and payload loss due to battery weight.

What this means:
The UK’s freight sector is charting meaningful progress toward net zero, driven by government-backed demonstrator programmes, infrastructure deployment, and leading operator participation. These initiatives offer tangible insights into fleet performance, cost parity, and operational design for electric and low-carbon freight. However, systemic hurdles including policy gaps, funding certainty, infrastructure limitations and operational cost concerns must be addressed through aligned regulatory commitments, investment de-risking, and collaborative frameworks. Policymakers, networks, and industry actors need to work in lockstep to scale demonstrator successes into widespread, cost-effective adoption across the supply chain.

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