UK Transport Sector Advances Net Zero: Key Developments in Fleets, Policy and Innovation

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

The UK transport sector is seeing significant thrusts towards net zero, with considerable progress in zero‑emission buses, heavy goods vehicles, and rail innovation, as well as evolving policy actions and emerging challenges.

In 2024, Britain retained its position as Europe’s largest market for zero‑emission buses. According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 1,570 electric or hydrogen buses across single‑deck, double‑deck, and minibus categories entered service, marking a 35.5 percent increase in demand. ZEBs accounted for 43.9 percent of single and double‑deck registrations, while total bus registrations reached 8,390, driven by the ZEBRA funding scheme. Minibuses more than doubled to 4,816 units (57.4 percent of the market), with England dominating deployment at 87.4 percent of deliveries.

Momentum continued into 2025. In Q1, zero‑emission bus demand nearly doubled, rising 129.5 percent to 739 units, while Q1 registrations of all buses, coaches, and minibuses rose almost 50 percent to 2,532. Electric minibuses, single‑deck buses and coaches, and double‑deck buses all saw strong growth, with the latter up 77.1 percent. Scotland recorded a surge in deliveries, up more than 200 percent.

In London, Transport for London has now deployed over 2,000 zero‑emission buses, comprising approximately 20 percent of its fleet. The target remains full zero‑emission status by 2030, with a projected carbon saving of five million tonnes over two decades. London now has lower CO₂ emissions per passenger‑kilometre than New York, and since 2021 all new TfL buses have been zero‑emission.

On the logistics side, Marks & Spencer introduced 85 zero‑ or lower‑emission vehicles to its supply chain fleet in early 2025 under its Plan A strategy aiming for net zero by 2040. The rollout includes five battery‑electric HGVs under the eFREIGHT 2030 demonstrator, plus 30 compressed natural gas vehicles powered by biomethane, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 85 percent compared to diesel. Once operational, nearly 10 percent of M&S’s transport fleet will be low‑ or zero‑emission.

Zero‑emission HGV registrations in the UK grew by 59.1 percent in the first half of 2025 versus the same period in 2024, reaching around 183 units and representing roughly 1 percent of the HGV market. However, uptake must accelerate to meet the 2035 deadline for zero‑emission sales of HGVs up to 26 tonnes.

Meanwhile, a high‑profile hydrogen project, HyHaul, part of the ZEHID programme, has closed as of mid‑December 2025. While four of five programme work packages progressed, the scheme failed to secure enough customer commitments for fuel‑cell HGVs to meet its targets, leading to termination of its grant funding from Innovate UK and the DfT.

In rail innovation, Network Rail, Freightliner and GeoPura have achieved a first: transporting hydrogen by rail on the UK network. The milestone took place at the Tuxford to High Marnham test track, adjacent to HyMarnham Power the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant connected to rail. The event also showcased a hydrogen‑powered shunting locomotive and hydrogen‑powered generators, lighting towers, and support vehicles.

On policy fronts, the DfT has committed to align MOT rules for heavier electric vans (up to 4.25 tonnes) with those for 3.5‑tonne diesel vans, addressing regulatory barriers. This decision comes after a consultation running from December 2024 to March 2025.

In Wales, the Government has appointed Zemo Partnership to lead a two‑year programme to accelerate decarbonisation of commercial vehicle fleets and supply chains. The initiative, announced in November 2025, will build on a report presented in March 2025 and will steer implementation across the region.

What this means:
This collection of developments signals robust progress in the UK’s net zero transport transition across public and private sectors. The explosive growth of zero‑emission buses especially in London and across the UK demonstrates the impact of funding schemes like ZEBRA and regional energy strategies. However, uptake in heavy goods vehicles remains modest, and the closure of HyHaul underscores the challenges in scaling hydrogen technologies without sufficient market commitments.

Policy support remains essential. Adjustments like aligning MOT rules are crucial for fleet operators, while targeted regional programmes like Wales’s Zemo-led initiative can drive local delivery. Infrastructure, particularly depot charging grid connections which operators complain may take up to 15 years remains a critical bottleneck to zero‑emission fleet adoption and requires reform and investment.

The hydrogen rail milestone highlights hydrogen’s role in freight and rail decarbonisation, offering a model for net‑zero infrastructure integration. Meanwhile, the continued electrification of fleets both buses and logistics vehicles affirms that EV deployment remains central.

UK transport stakeholders must now focus on sustaining momentum in bus electrification, accelerating HGV uptake through incentive alignment and infrastructure, and exploring hydrogen strategically where viable. Coordinated policy, investment, and market certainty will be key to delivering net zero transport across all sectors.

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