Green Alliance report sets roadmap to accelerate zero emission HGV uptake

Thu 09 October 2025 View all news

A new Green Alliance report, 'Charging Ahead: Accelerating the Uptake of Zero Emission HGVs', sets out a plan for how the UK can move faster to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles and ensure freight keeps pace with wider transport transition goals.

The report identifies major challenges still facing the HGV sector - notably grid capacity and energy access at key logistics sites, limited vehicle availability, and a lack of clarity around costs and incentives for fleet operators. Regulatory barriers, such as weight limits and complex planning rules, are also slowing deployment.

To overcome these obstacles, Charging Ahead calls for a coordinated national strategy built on three pillars: de-risking investment in vehicles and charging infrastructure; reforming regulatory and planning frameworks to remove friction; and improving collaboration between government, grid operators and logistics businesses. The report highlights shared charging depots and logistics hubs as an important early step, helping multiple fleets access high-power charging while lowering infrastructure costs.

Green Alliance argues that rapid action is needed if the UK is to match progress at the international level. Worldwide, the uptake of zero emission HGVs is accelerating - major economies are tightening emissions standards, expanding charging networks and supporting manufacturers with industrial-scale deployment programmes. Across Europe and North America, large logistics companies are committing to electric truck fleets and investing in high-capacity charging corridors to enable long-haul zero emission transport.

Key recommendations from the briefing paper are that the UK Government should:

  • Secure phase out dates in law and introduce a clear regulatory pathway

  • Provide additional financial support to purchase eHGVs

  • Expand and extend subsidies for charging infrastructure

  • Change payload regulations for eHGVs

  • Integrate eHGV manufacturing into government Industrial Strategy priorities

Zemo Partnership’s work aligns closely with these recommendations; Zemo’s collaborative approach is helping to translate research into practical delivery pathways - working to connect policy, technology and business to make zero emission freight a mainstream, competitive reality.

The message from Green Alliance's briefing is clear: with decisive action, coordination and investment, the UK can become a world leader in clean freight, and that this will drive both environmental and economic benefits.

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