Zero emission HGV demonstrator programme gears up
The Electric Freightway Project has published a progress report on its mission to prove the capabilities of electric Heavy Good Vehicles (eHGVs) and accelerate the decarbonisation of HGVs in line with the UK’s net-zero strategy.
Electric Freightway is part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
With the first eHGVs now hitting the UK’s roads, the new publication produced by consortium member Hitachi ZeroCarbon and project lead GRIDSERVE shows that the initiatives more than 30 members have made good progress in the demonstration, design and implementation of eHGV infrastructure.
Specifically the report highlights that partners have:
Put eHGVs on the road – Project partners AF Blakemore and Son, Samworth Brothers, Boughey and United Utilities have all added eHGVs to their existing fleets. Other consortium partners have placed orders and are awaiting delivery of their eHGVs.
Placed data at the heart of the project’s mission: Hitachi ZeroCarbon has successfully developed a comprehensive data analytics platform that will offer insights and objectively compare the operational performance of diesel HGVs to eHGVs. Platform results will start becoming available in the next report.
Conducted interviews and surveys of the industry: Hitachi ZeroCarbon has interviewed senior managers and drivers of HGVs ahead of electric truck deliveries to understand views on the perceived benefits such as reduced noise and environmental impact, and concerns about how range and access to charging will impact daily operations.
Designed some of the first eHGV specific charging stations in the UK – Consortium lead GRIDSERVE has extensively consulted on eHGV charging infrastructure and has now designed both depot-based and public high-power charging stations, with first sites expected to come online in the coming months.
The report nevertheless highlights the complexities of building advanced eHGV charging networks, and the need for stakeholders across industry and government to collaborate.
GRIDSERVE, for instance, has worked with consortium partners to secure public and private charge stations. This includes “navigating a web of viability and feasibility studies, site surveys and agreements, local stakeholder and driver engagements, permissions, network capacity and legal agreements, in addition to the infrastructure build and maintenance.”
Beyond physical infrastructure, the report also highlights the importance of digital technologies in delivering best-in-class data management and analysis. It shows that Hitachi ZeroCarbon’s platform will play a critical role equipping fleet operators and managers to make evidence-based decisions.
Leon Clarke, head of operations and delivery at Hitachi ZeroCarbon commented, “Our analysis of environmental benefits alongside total cost of ownership will help provide a strong investment case for future eHGV deployments.
“We fundamentally believe that smart, actionable data can underpin enhanced battery health, fleet route planning and charging sessions, and so accelerate the path to electrification. We are enabling logistics companies to compare total cost of ownership to make the investment case for transitioning their fleets to EVs.
Sam Clarke, commercial lead, GRIDSERVE added, “With Electric Freightway, we are writing the rule-book on the development and deployment of public and private eHGV infrastructure in real-time. We are in the process of creating a viable eHGV network at the lowest possible cost, in the fastest possible time frame, all with fleet managers and operators in mind.
“Since the last report we have made tangible progress and have conducted extensive planning and preparations to deliver our first milestones of getting eHGVs on the road, and charging stations deployed. This report keeps us honest and accountable while showing our diligence in creating infrastructure that will ensure we deliver world-leading transport infrastructure that is fit for the future.”
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood said, “A greener transport network is a key priority for this Government, which is why our demonstrator programme aims to scale up zero emission HGVs and install the right infrastructure to decarbonise road freight. This is an excellent example of industry and government collaborating to reach net zero.”