SMMT demands zero-emission plan for heavy goods vehicles
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) calls for a government infrastructure strategy for zero-emissions heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
The SMMT says that a plan is needed within 12 months to address the absence of public HGV-dedicated charging and hydrogen-filling points on Britain's roads to unlock operator investment.
With just over a decade for the first end-of-sale deadline for the UK's diesel HGVs, the SMMT's analysis points out that Britain's strategic road network does not have a single HGV-dedicated charging or hydrogen filling point.
They say this lack of infrastructure makes it impossible for most operators to make investments to decarbonise their fleets, which puts CO2 emissions savings of up to 21.1Mt a year at risk.
From 2035, all new HGVs under 26t sold in the UK must be zero emissions - as will cars and vans - with heavier vehicles being required to decarbonise five years later.
According the the SMMT, HGV manufacturers are investing heavily in a range of electric and hydrogen models but these account for one in 600 trucks on UK roads. They say that just eight of 20 zero-emission truck models are eligible for the Plug-in Truck Grant while other countries, such as France and Finland, provide up to three times the amount available to UK operators.
Last year, HGVs in Britain carried 1.65Bt of goods.
