UK Transport Embraces Electrification and Decarbonisation Momentum

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

Transport for London (TfL) has now deployed over 2,000 zero-emission buses on capital routes, marking around 20% of its bus fleet as fully zero-emission. This represents a leap forward from the mere 30 electric buses the city operated in 2016. All new buses since 2021 have been zero-emission, while the rest meet or exceed the Euro VI emissions standard. TfL’s target remains a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2030, a shift projected to cut around five million tonnes of carbon emissions over two decades. This transformation has also driven growth in low-carbon industries, with 30 % of TfL’s £12 billion spend benefiting suppliers in green and tech sectors.

Meanwhile, across Britain, the zero-emission bus (ZEB) market strengthened significantly in 2024, with 1,570 electric or hydrogen buses entering service a 35.5 % year-on-year increase. Operators now have access to 17 ZEB models, with nearly 44 % of single and double-decker registrations being zero-emission. The expansion has been fuelled by the government-backed Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme, currently in its second phase where new funding allocations and vehicle orders are underway.

On commercial fleets, major movements are also taking place. National Highways has placed a substantial Toyota EV order, adding 18 Proace Electric vans and 40 bZ4X SUVs to bolster progress toward net-zero corporate emissions by 2030 and shift its entire light vehicle fleet to EVs by 2027. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer has introduced 85 zero or low-emission vehicles into its logistics operations as part of its Plan A campaign to reach net zero by 2040. The move includes five battery-electric HGVs operating between its Welham Green depot and key stores under the eFREIGHT 2030 demonstrator programme.

In Scotland, the SCALE consortium backed by Transport Scotland’s £2 million HGV Market Readiness Fund is mobilising next-generation electric HGVs and shared charging hubs across real-world logistic applications. The project targets a sizeable portion of Scotland’s transport CO₂ emissions and is led by Voltempo, operating from a new Glasgow office, ramping up charging infrastructure by 2026.

Policy development continues to evolve. Zemo Partnership has undertaken a ‘missing policies’ initiative commissioned by the European Climate Foundation: a forum culminating in a June report bridging gaps in the UK’s road transport decarbonisation framework. In Wales, Zemo has published a comprehensive commercial vehicle decarbonisation report for the Welsh Government. Its proposals could cut 8.4 MtCO₂e by 2050 and deliver a £2.1 billion fuel cost saving for operators, with electrification as the primary pathway alongside low-carbon fuels and potential hydrogen use in the late 2030s.

However, industry voices are urging stronger government intervention. The Road Haulage Association reports ongoing uncertainty in the logistics and coach sectors: 70 % of HGV operators—and 75 % of coach operators—have no plans to incorporate zero-emission vehicles. Key barriers include eHGV range limitations, high upfront costs, and reduced payload capacity. Only 9 % of operators currently operate electric HGVs, while 14 % plan to do so within five years. The RHA calls for urgent government support covering finance, alternative fuels, and infrastructure to accelerate change.

Adding to green infrastructure momentum, Aegis Energy secured significant backing £100 million from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners to build the UK’s first multi-energy refuelling hubs for commercial EVs. The initial network of five charging stations will be completed by end‑2027, with the first opening early next year in locations such as Sheffield and Immingham, scaling to 30 hubs by 2030.

Closer to home in the South West, the Torpoint “Bridge to Zero” initiative will transform the busy chain ferry service to 100 % shore-supplied green electricity. With funding from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the project aims to cut up to 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, offering an engineering-ready blueprint for fully electric vessel operation and informing vessel replacement strategy for 2034.

What this means:
Transport decarbonisation in the UK is gaining significant traction across public transport, logistics, and maritime. Electrification is rapidly expanding, supported by strategic funding and infrastructural initiatives from buses and vans to heavy goods vehicles, ferry services, and multi-energy hubs. However, barriers remain in operator uncertainty, infrastructure bottlenecks, and commercial risk. Targeted policy support, investment in charging networks, and practical solutions like retrofits and shared hubs will be instrumental in sustaining progress toward net-zero transport by 2050.

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