Zero‑Emission Freight Accelerates: UK Logistics Embrace Electric HGVs

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The UK freight sector is making substantial strides in decarbonisation as electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) and charging infrastructure rollouts gather pace. Royal Mail has deployed eight 42‑tonne electric DAF XD 350E trucks at its Midlands and North West parcel hubs, supported by high‑speed ABB T360 chargers. This initiative, powered by its participation in the Electric Freightway consortium, is projected to save approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and brings the organisation closer to its net‑zero target by 2040. The effort is part of a nationwide charging network under the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.

Meanwhile, DFDS, as part of the ZENFreight consortium under the same ZEHID initiative, has introduced a Volvo FM Electric eHGV on a closed‑loop route between a Merseyside fulfilment centre and Liverpool Port. The site includes a high‑capacity charging facility that achieves full charge in two hours, enabling three to four daily delivery cycles.

In the private logistics sector, Wincanton now operates 24 electric trucks from manufacturers including DAF, Volvo, and Renault. These vehicles, supported by depot charging infrastructure across locations like Greenford, Portbury, and Scotland Gateway, are expected to reduce Wincanton’s annual CO₂ emissions by 2,400 tonnes.

GRIDSERVE has opened the UK’s first public-access Electric Freightway eHGV charging hubs at Extra Baldock and Moto Exeter. These represent the first of seven planned public ultra‑rapid charging depots, expanding infrastructure vital for electrified long‑haul logistics.

On the retail front, Amazon has placed a record UK order for 160 Mercedes-Benz e‑Actros 600 electric trucks, each capable of a 310‑mile range and averaging 70,000 miles annually. Complementing this, over 800 electric vans and micro‑delivery innovations such as e‑bikes are being deployed. Amazon is also installing 360 kW charging points capable of charging from 20% to 80% in just over an hour.

Policy and support initiatives are matching industry momentum. The Scottish Government has launched a £2 million HGV Market Readiness Fund to help operators and manufacturers invest in zero‑emission freight, allocating £1 million specifically for small and medium‑sized operators.

A consortium in Scotland, led by Voltempo, has proposed SCALE—a community‑based charging network for electric HGVs ranging from 7.5 to 44 tonnes. In 2026, if approved by Transport Scotland, it aims to support diverse applications from remote parcel deliveries to medical logistics and point the way to inclusive infrastructure benefiting fleets large and small.

Vehicle registrations reflect these efforts: zero‑emission HGV registrations rose by 59.1% in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, though they still represent only about 1% of the market. With 35 zero‑emission models now available, continued acceleration is essential to meet the 2035 displacement target for new sub‑26 tonne HGVs.

Lastly, the Electric Freightway programme has reported over half a million zero‑emission miles driven by participating fleets. With 79 eHGVs delivered and another 78 on order, the project indicates that total cost of ownership could reach parity with diesel equivalents within five years.

What this means:

The surge in eHGV deployments—across Royal Mail, DFDS, Wincanton, and Amazon backed by expanding charging networks, signals a watershed moment for UK freight decarbonisation. Investment in infrastructure from public hubs to depot chargers combined with financial support mechanisms and regional initiatives like SCALE and Scotland’s HGV fund, are creating the ecosystem needed for scale and equity. While early-stage adoption remains nascent, with just 1% of new HGV registrations being zero-emission, rapid technology improvements and declining total costs suggest a tipping point may be on the horizon. Stakeholders must now focus on unlocking wider rollouts, especially for smaller operators and rural logistics, to ensure zero‑emission freight becomes the norm not the exception.

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