Zero emission HGV fleets are unaffordable, say operators

By Tim Wallace

Leading operators have told MT that switching their HGV fleets to zero emission fuels is unaffordable in the current climate and have demanded more help from the government and their own customers.

“We’ve been quoted a figure on an electric truck that was close to £300,000 and I don’t know an operator that could afford to spend that,” admitted Owens Group MD Ian Owen. “So it’s getting the customer to be prepared to pay for it.”

The Llanelli-based firm has seen a 20% downturn in volumes from the end of last year and talks with key partners to switch the fleet to HVO have stalled. “Our trucks are ready but who’s paying for it?” Owen said. “The government is talking it up but not backing it up.”

Parcel firm Evri has been building a biomethane HGV fleet for five years, but head of fleet David Landy said operators planning to switch to electric faced “a massive financial and technical challenge”.

“The government wants operators to put a charging infrastructure into their own networks,” he said. “But we’ve got 200-plus tractor units running up to a quarter of a million kilometres a year. The charging, and the size of the cable, would be huge. We need help.

“There’s a massive cliff face coming to operators,” Landy warned. “Given the capital prices of the truck and the infrastructure, early adoption isn’t affordable. But the government would rather bat the cost back to us. The danger is people will hang on to older technology for longer.”

Mike Parr, MD of chilled goods haulier PML, agreed: “Who out there can give me an electric truck that can do four or five hundred miles? Nobody. And we recently asked a German manufacturer about the range of their refrigerated vans and they said, ‘don’t bother’.

“We’re looking at putting solar panels on the top of trailers,” Parr added, “but unfortunately they’re twice the price. We’re also looking at hydrogen but where can you refill? And who’s going to pay the additional cost? Some of the government grants could be used better.”

Alan Maher, MD of Manchesterbased Archbold Logistics, said truck manufacturers “don’t have a lot to tell us” and that battery technology is changing so fast that operators are delaying decisions. “Everyone has got some form of electric solution but on a very limited scale,” he said.

Turners (Soham) and The Haulage Group fined £2.2m after fatal accident

Two haulage firms have been fined a combined total of £2.2m after a depot manager was struck by a reversing HGV and killed.

Neil Roberts, 60, was working for Turners (Soham) when he was hit by the truck on 30 August 2019.

The incident occurred at the premises of The Haulage Group, previously known as Howell Group, in Birmingham when the vehicle reversed out of a parking space in the transport yard.

A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that both companies failed to manage the risks associated with workplace transport.

Turners (Soham) pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined £1.9m and ordered to pay costs of £7,300.

Manufacturer denies any production hold-ups amid viablility concerns