• EV Tech Insider
  • Posts
  • UK Government invests £200 million to increase zero-emission trucks on roads

UK Government invests £200 million to increase zero-emission trucks on roads

January 02, 2024

More zero-emission trucks are set to drive on UK roads thanks to a £200 million boost to decarbonize freight vehicles, drive innovation and create new jobs as part of a week of government action to support the sector.

With heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) alone contributing 20% to all transport emissions across the UK, the £200 million in government funding announced in October 2023 will be invested across several innovative green projects to roll out up to 370 zero-emission HGVs and help set road freight on the path towards net zero.

The investment also covers the delivery of about 57 refueling and electric charging sites, providing the crucial infrastructure to help the haulage sector decarbonize.

The funding will help popular grocery companies such as Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer lower their transport emissions while protecting them from rising delivery costs associated with changing petrol and diesel prices. This could help prevent price hikes across supermarkets, allowing people to save money on food and groceries to help with the cost of living.

Other projects that will receive a share of the £200 million boost are Project Electric Freightway by GRIDSERVE, Project Zero Emission North (ZEN) Freight and Hydrogen Aggregated Logistics (HyHAUL) by Protium.

An additional £2.4 million has also been unlocked through the second round of the Freight Innovation Fund (FIF). As part of the fund, the FIF Accelerator – open for applications from today – will help up to 10 small and medium enterprises develop new ways to make freight greener, more efficient and more resilient.

Roads Minister, Richard Holden, said “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. 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”