Department for Transport awards £200m to zero-emission trucking projects

The government has this morning announced £200m of funding for four flagship projects that aim to catalyse the decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in the UK.

Announcing the investment, the Department for Transport (DfT) said the grants would help deliver 370 zero emission trucks and 57 refuelling and electric charging sites.

Charging company Gridserve has won funding for a project with Volvo and DAF that aims to roll out 140 battery electric HGVs, alongside 220 dedicated chargers. Meanwhile, the Project Zero Emission North Freight scheme has secured investment for a scheme which is aiming to roll out 70 battery electric and 30 hydrogen fuel HGVs, with Eddie Stobart and Royal Mail just two of the fleet operators set to benefit.

Another tranche of the funding will go towards a scheme from fast charging company Voltempo, which is aiming to deliver up to 100 battery electric HGVs in partnership with Renault Trucks, Scania, and DAF. Marks and Spencer and Menzies Distribution are among the fleet operators confirmed to be participating in the trial, the government said.

The remainder of the grant money will support a project led by hydrogen producer Protium, which aims to deploy around 30 hydrogen fuel cell HGVs that will operate on the M4 corridor. The funding will enable the fleet to be serviced by one fixed hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) and mobile refuelling facilities in two other locations, according to the DfT.

Roads Minister Richard Holden is set to announce the investment at Voltempo’s headquarters in Birmingham this morning, where he will underscore the government’s commitment to decarbonsing the freight sector.

“Freight and logistics are the beating heart of our economy and it is only right that we celebrate the sector so that it gets the recognition and support it deserves,” he said. “From boosting zero emission tech across freight to attracting the future generation of talent to the industry, we are working hard to drive innovation, create jobs and grow the economy by building a brighter, more innovative future for one of our most crucial industries.”  

The funding is being delivered to the four projects through government innovation agency Innovate UK.

“As the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK is committed to supporting innovative UK businesses working to decarbonise the UK’s road freight industry,” said Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK. “Together with the Department for Transport, the £200 million in Government funding will develop world-leading battery and hydrogen trucks and demonstrate at a large scale, creating greener jobs, and boosting our net zero economy.”

The DfT has today also launched the second round of its Freight Innovation Fund accelerator programme, setting out plans to offer up to £2.4m to 10 small and medium sized businesses developing new ways to make freight greener, more efficient, and more resilient. 

The government announced the companies to have received grants through the first round of the Freight Innovation Fund, which aims to distribute £7m over three years, earlier this year.

The DfT has also announced the launch of two calls for evidence designed to explore new ways for the freight industry to decarbonise and become more efficient. The first is seeking views to inform and support the development of the government’s Zero Emission HGV and Coach Infrastructure Strategy, which is due to be published in 2024. The second concerns volumetric concrete mixers, and will consider whether a temporary weight allowance should remain, be removed or amended for the vehicles beyond the current deadline of 2028.  

The government has set a target for all new trucks to be zero emission by 2040 at the latest, mirroring the target for ending the sale of new internal combustion engine cars and vans by 2035. However, while a number of zero emission HGVs are now commercially available, the industry is a long way from replicating the success of the electric car sector. As such, the sector has warned that further funding support and a clear strategy for delivering dedicated charging and refuelling infrastructure is required if truck manufacturers are to be able to meet the 2040 target date.

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