11 PROGRESS AND PITFALLS ON THE ROAD TO ZERO

“Lift off has begun, have you?”

Grahame Neagus, Head of LCV, Renault Trucks UK & Ireland

As we enter the summer of 2022, the transition to a low carbon transport future is well underway. Never before has our industry been so buzzing with technology and excitement and this is spreading across all aspects of the sector, from selling, operating and keeping on the road to financing. Every part of what we do today is already being touched by this seismic shift in transportation. Are you ready for lift off?

The Government’s Decarbonisation Plan has given us all a roadmap to which we can align our own strategies, and its impacts will be far-reaching for road freight – by 2030 we will be looking at a very different landscape. Yet how many businesses actually have a decarbonisation plan today that include both the vehicles and the necessary infrastructure?

Certainly with conventional diesel prices increasing the focus on alternative power sources has never been greater but this does not only mean a shift to alternative fuels and technologies: the latest generation synthetic diesels, like HVO, can and do offer another green alternative to be considered in the whole blended solution of future decarbonisation.

In addition, as the current recruitment challenges for transport and logistics also hit the headlines, how can we make sure we attract the right people now to build a thriving and changing industry fit for the future?

One of the first issues to face is that for many young people starting out, transport and logistics is not a particularly aspirational career and, despite being lauded as keyworkers during the pandemic, it is still viewed quite negatively outside the sector. This means we are dealing with an ageing, male-dominated workforce, with no one to replace them.

It is clear that we urgently need to reframe the narrative to attract and retain young talent. Fast moving, fast paced and high tech, this is an industry with great prospects and a sustainable future.

For example, at Renault Trucks we have already introduced electric vehicles from 3.1 – 26 tonnes into the market, and by 2023 we will have a 100% electric version of every vehicle in our range and we have a vibrant apprenticeship and graduate intern programme. As a business, our parent company, Volvo Group, has committed to the most ambitious targets in the industry, to achieve net-zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and interim targets that have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, with a roadmap that is in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

For younger workers who value organisations that have a positive impact on the world, the transport and logistics industry is ideally placed to appeal to the next generation. Yes, people get very excited about the latest electric cars like Tesla, Lotus and Jaguar, but the Transport and Logistics sector is advancing at a faster rate than cars. These are exciting times both for those already in our sector and for those new entrants on the first rung of the ladder, with strong growth and opportunities for career progression ahead. And by sharing a commitment to innovation, technology and the environment, by looking at your own decarbonisation plan across all aspects of your operation - drivers, traffic desks and workshops - together we will deliver the government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

However, both government and local government must incentivise and support businesses not only in the purchase of commercial electric vehicles, but also in the infrastructure and the people to deliver – to accelerate this change.

Government has made some changes in legislation to start addressing the issues, for example GVWs. As an unladen electric LCV typically weighs more than its diesel equivalent, there has been an increase in the maximum permissible payloads to level the playing field.

Recognising the impact of batteries on payload, the Government changed driving licence rules in 2018. Now Category B licence holders who are already eligible to drive vehicles up to 3500kg can drive alternative fuel vehicles (AVF) that weigh up to 4250kg. Many operators have seized the opportunity to run at a higher GVW. And on the face of it, this sounds like good news. However, we are coming across more operators who, having only ever operated up to 3500kgs, do not fully understand the operational impact from a legal perspective.

Why? Because the allowance to go up to 4250kgs GVW is only applicable to the

“Both government and local government must incentivise and support businesses”

driving licence element of the operation and not the whole operation in its entirety.

Read the small print, and it becomes clear that despite the fact that a specific model may have a design weight of 4250kgs, it does not mean that the vehicle can be operated at that weight. The allowance is only there as a maximum based on the disadvantaged weight penalty compared to the standard diesel equivalent under Article 2 of the Council Directive 96/53. Simply put, if your diesel vehicle could carry 1200kgs at 3500kgs GVW and your new electric one can only carry 1000kgs because of the weight of the alternative fuel, then assuming the design of the vehicle can allow it and you have the right levels of equipment fitted, you can only run this vehicle at 3700kgs not 4250kgs.

How many people I wonder have interpreted the law as being able to run at the full 4250kgs on a category B license just as if they were in a 3500kgs vehicle and be blissfully aware they are breaking the law whilst putting insurance and compliance at risk?

Before all Category B licence holders can get behind the wheel of a heavier alternative fuel van, they must first complete a minimum of five hours’ training with a registered instructor. If not, the driver could be subject to a level three fine of £1000 under the Road Traffic Act. Additionally, operating beyond 3500kgs now brings the base vehicle into a N2 category and therefore into HGV territory so all the complexities of tachographs, AEBS braking systems, speed limiters set at 90kph (56mph), along with annual MOT testing coming into scope.

Amendments in Operator Licensing requirements currently help AFVs as operating working within a 100km radius of their company base means exemption which is ideal for your electric 3.5 tonner but go beyond this and you are breaking the law.

Moreover from 21st May 2022 UK based operators of LCVs with a MAM between 2500kgs and 3500kgs involved in international transport for hire and reward will come within scope of Operating Licensing. While currently most EVs will probably not operate on international routes, journeys between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be affected.

While thinking you can operate AFVs at the higher weights may look tempting, remember your payload will remain as that of a 3500kgs version so are the added complexities beyond that a burden or a gain? Here at Renault Trucks our electric vehicles can weigh as little as 47kgs more than their diesel equivalent, so do you carry more with all the additional complexities or do you enjoy greater operational freedom?

It always pays to specify the right vehicle, with the right range for your application and not to carry more battery weight than you need. But if you do require more, choose a partner with HGV know-how to help you navigate this more complex world of heavy truck compliance with total peace of mind. • Grahame Neagus