UK Green Freight Accelerates with Electric HGVs, Charging Hubs and Biofuel Integration

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

In the latest wave of developments in Green Logistics & Freight, UK businesses and government bodies are advancing zero‑emission freight through a series of major initiatives, infrastructure investments, and innovative pilot projects spanning electric HGV deployments, multi‑modal clever trials, biofuel usage, and charging network expansion.

Royal Mail has introduced eight DAF 42‑tonne XD 350E electric HGVs at its Midlands and North West parcel hubs, replacing traditional diesel trucks for “middle‑mile” deliveries. These vehicles are supported by ABB T360 high‑performance chargers, which can deliver up to 60 miles of range in under 15 minutes. The deployment is forecasted to save approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. This initiative is part of the Electric Freightway consortium under the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, backed by £100 million in investment including £62.7 million from the UK Government and will contribute data for nationwide freight electrification.

The ZENFreight consortium also part of ZEHID has commissioned its first electric HGV, a Volvo FM Electric introduced by DFDS from a Liverpool depot. The vehicle operates a closed‑loop route to Merseyside’s fulfilment centre, supported by a site featuring four charging bays with 360 kWh capacity, enabling a full charge in two hours for three to four daily delivery cycles. The project signals a strategic shift in freight electrification and aims to build a data‑driven national model for eHGV deployment and accompanying infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s government has launched a £2 million Heavy Goods Vehicle Market Readiness Fund for 2025–26. This is designed to support operators, manufacturers, financiers, and charging providers to collaborate on HGV decarbonisation across the sector. Half of the funding is specifically allocated for small and medium‑sized operators.

At a national scale, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported that zero‑emission HGV registrations rose by nearly 60 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, reaching around 183 units representing nearly 1 percent market share. Despite this growth, the SMMT emphasised that uptake must accelerate rapidly to meet the UK’s 2035 target of zero‑emission trucks up to 26 tonnes. The association also flagged infrastructure bottlenecks, warning of grid connection delays of up to 15 years as a critical barrier.

In Essex, charging specialist Fleete has broken ground on a 5 MW shared‑use commercial vehicle EV charging hub at the Port of Tilbury, funded in part with £1 million from the UK Government’s Thames Freeport seed capital. Set to open in December 2025, the hub will offer 16 rapid chargers to serve large fleets and advance the decarbonisation of freight routes in the Thames estuary.

Complementing these large‑scale electrification efforts, the Sustainable Urban Freight Association (SUFA) has launched as a new trade body to coordinate ultra‑low‑emission urban delivery solutions, including EVs, cargo bikes, and multimodal alternatives. SUFA will support freight operators in navigating urban policy frameworks as local authorities step up congestion and air quality measures.

On the biofuel front, Sainsbury’s is pioneering the use of biofuel derived from its own food waste. From March 2025, this initiative will power 30 HGVs at its Emerald Park distribution centre representing half the site’s fleet and deliver annual CO₂ savings of over 3,000 tonnes. The system recycles the retailer’s food waste via anaerobic digestion into biogas, which is directly transformed into liquid fuel for its HGVs, allowing detailed tracking of Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Additionally, the Welch Group has unveiled a “12 Pillars of Change” framework via its TwentyForty innovation platform, which brings together industry stakeholders to build a practical roadmap for achieving zero‑emission freight by 2040, addressing industry fragmentation and aligning operational realities with policy goals.

What this means:
These developments represent a multi‑faceted acceleration of the UK’s freight decarbonisation pathway. Major players like Royal Mail and DFDS are deploying electric HGVs and testing infrastructure at scale. Government interventions such as Scotland’s read‑fund and funding for charging facilities unlock collaboration and de‑risk investment for both large and small operators. The rise in zero‑emission HGV registrations, though still small in absolute numbers, demonstrates growing market readiness. Infrastructure deployments like the Tilbury charging hub and SUFA’s institutional framework are enabling ecosystem building and cross‑sector coordination. Meanwhile, innovative approaches such as Sainsbury’s closed‑loop biofuel system and the Welch Group’s sector roadmap are expanding the range of decarbonisation pathways beyond electrification alone. Together, these add up to a freight sector poised for transformational change.

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