Lack of infrastructure plan for charging and hydrogen fuelling deterring investment, says SMMT Government putting brakes on industry switch to ‘green HGVs’

By Carol Millett

The UK’s zero emission HGV market is “shackled” by the absence of a charging infrastructure, the lack of a national roll-out plan and the absence of effective incentives for operators, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned.

The SMMT said that unless the the UK government acts urgently to ensure the rapid roll-out of public HGV-dedicated charging and hydrogen filling points across Britain’s roads, it will fail to unlock operator investment.

The warning comes as research by the SMMT reveals that Britain’s strategic road network has not a single HGV-dedicated electric charging or hydrogen filling point.

The SMMT is urging the government to match its bold plan to ban the sale of new diesel trucks by 2035 with an equally bold plan to deliver the HGV charging infrastructure and provide operator incentives and investment.

It also wants the government to develop this strategy within the next 12 months, warning that the 2035 ban on the sale of new diesel trucks leaves many operators with just one full eight-year cycle of fleet renewal to make the transition.

Without this government strategy, the SMMT warned that the current lack of infrastructure will continue to act as a serious impediment to the “vast majority” of operators considering investing in zero emission trucks.

It points to the lack of zero emission trucks on the UK’s roads to date as evidence, with just one in 600 trucks being zero emission, despite HGV manufacturers investing heavily in developing electric and hydrogen powered trucks.

The SMMT said: “Given the unavoidably higher costs of zero emission vehicles and the necessary depot investments, operators whose businesses are run on tight margins and pence per mile calculations need to be incentivised to make the switch.”

GLASGOW KISSED: A new design of hydrogen fuel cell truck has been unveiled by Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) after six years’ work. The 40-tonne, 370-mile range HGV demonstrator “underlines the company’s objective of being the first indigenous UK designed and developed hydrogen-electric HGV on the market,” HVS said. Funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and Energy Technology Partnership, another investment partner is the service station and grocery retailer EG Group, which will provide the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

CLEAN MACHINES: This year’s Road Transport Expo (RTX) will have a wide range of low-carbon and zero-emission technology to explore from leading manufacturers. From electric trucks and vans through to Euro-6 biogas and diesel models, there will plenty to discover. You can even take vehicles for a drive in our Ride & Drive experience, or simply experience the journey from the passenger seat if you prefer. RTX is a bumper three-day tradeshow, which is free to attend and takes place from 28 to 30 June at NAEC Stoneleigh in Staffordshire. You can book your place today at roadtransportexpo.co.uk