Government urged to plan before ban on fossil-fuelled HGVs

The government has been urged to develop a plan for transitioning to zero emission heavy goods vehicles before it sets a date to ban their sale.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is calling on the government to work with industry on infrastructure, technological development and long-term market transition, after a new analysis revealed that just 0.2 per cent of HGVs currently on the road are alternatively fuelled – the same proportion as cars in 2007.

While pure electric cars have grown in popularity, and now represent one in 12 sales, only one in 38 new vans registered in 2021 is pure electric. Part of the problem is that there is no single technology that can provide full zero emissions for the weights and uses that HGVs have to bear, as although all of Europe’s major truck manufacturers have agreed to make their vehicles fossil fuel-free by 2040, it’s not clear how they’ll achieve that.

A new SMMT report, underlines the need for powertrain research and infrastructure development. It calls for a government road map to build a supply chain and a domestic market, and a dedicated public HGV charging network. It’s forecast that the UK will need 8200 public HGV charging points by 2030 – a rate of two new openings a day. Other fuel types far even worse – there are just 11 hydrogen fuel cell refuelling locations across the country, for instance. 

“The industry is committed to be fossil fuel-free, but there is not yet a clear technology path for every weight class and every use case,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Before it sets a deadline for the sector, the government must support the technological development and market proposition and provide the right framework, so hauliers don’t defer their decarbonising decision to the last minute. Plans before bans is the key.

“Vans face fewer obstacles in this decarbonisation journey than HGVs but adoption rates remain low, driven by the lack of charging points and higher operating costs relative to diesel. The new models are there, with many more coming, but without investment in incentives and infrastructure, the commercial vehicle sector will struggle to meet our shared ambition to reach net zero.”

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