£200 million investment to put more zero emission trucks on road
More zero emission trucks are set to drive on UK roads thanks to a £200 million boost to decarbonise freight vehicles, drive innovation and create new jobs as part of a week of Government action to support the sector.
With heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) alone contributing 20 per cent to all transport emissions across the UK, the £200 million in Government funding announced last week will be invested across four innovative green projects to roll out up to 370 zero emission HGVs and help set road freight on the path towards net zero, driving innovation and creating new jobs.
Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the £200 million Government investment from the zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme will also deliver around 57 refuelling and electric charging sites, providing the crucial infrastructure to help the haulage sector decarbonise.
Roads minister Richard Holden visited Voltempo in Birmingham, one of the recipients of the £200 million, whose eFREIGHT 2030 project is set to create up to 200 new jobs by 2030 and provide Birmingham with one of the UK’s first electric vehicle charging hubs dedicated to HGVs.
The funding will help popular grocery companies such as Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer lower their transport emissions while protecting them from rising delivery costs associated with changing petrol and diesel prices. This could help prevent price hikes across supermarkets, allowing people to save money on food and groceries to help with the cost of living.
This funding comes as part of the government’s commitment to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future. Decarbonising the freight sector is a key part of building a sustainable future for the industry and achieving our net zero commitments in a fair and pragmatic way which lowers costs, creates jobs and grows the economy.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “Freight and logistics are the beating heart of our economy and it is only right that we celebrate the sector so that it gets the recognition and support it deserves.
“From boosting zero emission tech across freight to attracting the future generation of talent to the industry, we are working hard to drive innovation, create jobs and grow the economy by building a brighter, more innovative future for one of our most crucial industries.”
To further drive innovation in freight and logistics, an additional £2.4 million has also been unlocked through the second round of the Freight Innovation Fund (FIF). As part of the fund, the FIF Accelerator – open for applications from today - will help up to 10 SMEs develop new ways to make freight greener, more efficient, and more resilient.
Freight Week follows the decision to extend the fuel duty cut to March 2024 and the 33 unprecedented actions from the Department to support the haulage sector. These include up to £100 million in joint government and industry funding to improve roadside facilities for lorry drivers, £34 million to create up to 11,000 skill bootcamps and increase the capacity for HGV driver tests by 90 per cent compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
