A letter, signed by 20 businesses, industry groups and NGOs, including Tesco, bottling giant Coca Cola Europacific Partners, and ChargeUK, coordinated by T&E UK, has called on the government to introduce regulation to set a clear pathway to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles and buses.
The letter outlines that despite the previous government announcing, in 2021, the ambition to achieve 100% zero-emission HGV sales by 2035 for vehicles under 26 tonnes, and by 2040 for larger HGVs, there remains neither a regulatory framework to support these targets nor a clear roadmap for how the sector will meet them.
It goes on to outline how the ZEV mandate for cars and vans, which came into effect at the start of 2024, has been a bold example of a regulation that has provided certainty for industry and outlines a clear trajectory for accelerating the sales of zero emissions vehicles. Subsequently, that has gone on to help attract billions of pounds in green EV investment from charging infrastructure to battery manufacturing.
Replicating similar regulation for heavy goods vehicles and buses, the letter argues, will help provide the same certainty needed for the automotive sector to adequately invest and transition to zero-emissions truck and bus technologies, and will pave the way for the charging and refuelling industries to invest in the infrastructure needed 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, said: “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.”
Full list of signatories: 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.
