A letter organised by Transport & Environment UK and signed by a collection of businesses, industry groups and NGOs is calling for legislation to accelerate the transition to emission-free heavy goods vehicles in the UK.
The signatories – among them Tesco, Clean Cities, ChargeUK and Coca Cola – point to the ZEV mandate for cars as an example of a bold policy which drives change by providing certainty for industry.
The letter suggests that adopting similar regulations for HGVs and buses will provide manufacturers with a similar certainty, encouraging them to invest in, and transition to, zero-emission technologies. This will also pave the way for the charging and refuelling industries to invest in the necessary infrastructure for a successful transition.
Anna Krajinska, director of T&E UK, said: ‘Despite positive noises and indications of ambition from previous administrations on decarbonising the UK’s heavy duty vehicles, we have yet to see any concrete plans or proposals for how this ambition will be achieved. As a result, the UK’s truck industry is off track to get to zero emissions and falling behind other markets. It’s critical that this Government delivers these regulations as quickly as possible to provide a clear pathway for truckmakers, as well as certainty for the charging industry, hauliers and fleets.’
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, added: ‘The transition to electric cars and vans is now well underway in the UK. The critical factor enabling this progress is the ZEV mandate, which gives infrastructure investors the confidence to invest billions in charging ahead of demand. But full transport decarbonisation is only possible if the nation’s heavy goods vehicles and buses also make the switch. To kick start that transition, charging investors need to see a similar pathway to electrification set out in legislation. ChargeUK calls on the Government to implement a framework to enable a successful transition for heavy-duty vehicles and looks forward to working with manufacturers to deliver this.’
The letter reads:
As representatives of the logistics and charging industries as well as civil society, we are calling for a regulation to set a clear pathway to decarbonise HGVs and buses in the UK.
Heavy goods vehicles are at the heart of our nation’s economy, transporting vital goods nationwide. The sector, like many, is facing a key moment of change with the transition to a net zero economy.
Although the UK Government announced the ambition in 2021 to achieve 100% zero-emission HGV sales by 2035 for vehicles under 26 tonnes, and by 2040 for larger HGVs, and the UK was in the first wave of signatories of the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles—which calls for 100% zero-emission sales by 2040—it is crucial to adopt a regulatory framework to support these targets and a clear roadmap for how the sector will meet them. The industry urgently needs certainty regarding the pathway to compliance. The European Union has already established a clear regulatory framework for decarbonising trucks, buses and coaches, providing the EU’s heavy-duty sector the lead time and certainty needed to transition.
To remain truly competitive, we encourage the UK to accelerate progress. The ZEV mandate for cars and vans, brought in from January 2024, is an example of the UK Government providing regulatory certainty for industry, that gives a clear trajectory for accelerating zero emission vehicle sales and is helping to attract billions of pounds in green EV investment from charging infrastructure to battery manufacturing.
Bringing forward regulations to decarbonise the HGV and bus sectors will provide the certainty needed for the automotive sector to invest and transition to zero-emission truck and bus technologies, and for the charging and refuelling industries to invest in the infrastructure needed for a successful transition.
Together, we call on the Government to bring forward the consultation on regulatory proposals for decarbonising the heavy-duty sector by the 1st of March at the latest. We believe this is necessary to ensure the UK HGV industry begins to get the certainty and investment it needs to make progress on decarbonisation.
Now is the opportunity to put the UK’s HGV industry among the world’s leading when it comesto innovation and climate action. We hope that the government will seize this opportunity.
Yours sincerely,
CALSTART, Cenex, ChargeUK, Clean Cities Campaign, Climate Group, Coca Cola Europacific Partners, Dynamon, EmergeVest, EV Cargo, Fastned, Green Alliance, Energy Saving Trust, Heathrow, Milence, New Automotive, Reckitt, Renewable Energy Association, Tesco, and Transport & Environment, Zenobe.