Picture a motorway, one lane full of massive trucks and lorries on their way to deliver everything that keeps our society fed and ticking along. There are 437,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on British roads, with these logistics workhorses shuttling 1.55 billion tonnes of goods annually.
But there's a problem. Trucks and lorries cause as much as eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. And though HGVs make up only six percent of vehicle mileage on UK roads, they are responsible for 19 percent of transport emissions.
And that means the UK can't reach its goal of a net-zero economy by 2050 without cleaning up HGVs. Because of this, sales of new diesel or petrol HGVs will soon be banned in the UK. Smaller HGVs, those below 26 tonnes, must be emissions-free from 2035, while sales of new diesel and petrol HGVs above that weight will end by 2040. A similar rule in the European Union will also require most new trucks to be emissions-free by 2040.
For passenger cars there is now a clear direction towards battery electric vehicles over the next decade. For HGVs, various countries are enacting similar regulations, and manufacturers are on board, but the technology is more difficult.
Electric HGVs could be one solution, alongside alternative fuels such as hydrogen or biofuels. But there are challenges to electric HGVs: They're expensive, require powerful, optimized batteries because of their heavy loads, and they need large bays with high-power HGV chargers at stations along their routes. That's because the EV car chargers already installed alongside motorways won't cut it.
But electric HGVs can be done. The UK's Electric Freightway project aims to showcase to the industry and government what is needed to make the transition work, in terms of power-grid infrastructure, HGV charging points, and even policy.
Run by GRIDSERVE and Hitachi—with support and funding from Innovate UK and the Department for Transport—the five-year trial intends to “learn by doing.” Practically, that means that this project will install around 220 high-power charging stations—including two megawatt-ready chargers—across up to 30 sites that will power a fleet of at least 140 fully electric 40-44 tonne HGVs.
In May, some of the project's first electric vehicles hit the road, with a pair of fully electric HGVs delivered to food retailer A.F. Blakemore & Son, and immediately put to use operating out of the company's Bedford depot. The Volvo FM Electric tractor units feature three electric motors powered by a 540 kWh battery, offering a range of 185 miles between charges. The retailer believes adding the two electric trucks to its 103-vehicle fleet will reduce carbon emissions by 120 tonnes each year. A.F. Blakemore & Son intends to add two more electric HGVs soon as part of the second phase of the Electric Freightway project.
The Hitachi ZeroCarbon team is gathering millions of data points from vehicles such as those, including battery charge levels, vehicle load, geography, weather, and seasonal impacts of range. Hitachi's analysis of truck telemetry will offer insight into how the battery is holding up, maintenance requirements, tire wear and tear, and operational performance data. Beyond the information collected from the trucks, Hitachi ZeroCarbon is also capturing data from the GRIDSERVE charging points, as well as key stakeholders, to build a comprehensive understanding of the constraints and opportunities in existence today.
"This unique opportunity will test some of the most challenging electrification scenarios in the UK," says Andrew Barr, president of Hitachi Europe and chairman of Hitachi ZeroCarbon. "Through this we will gain the data and practical experience needed to allow HGV operators to plan and prioritize their decarbonisation journey, highlighting where we need to continue to innovate to overcome remaining challenges in implementing zero-emissions trucks."
That will help plan future infrastructure, such as where to install charging points, and let companies understand how to rearrange routes for electric HGVs, as well as answer other logistical questions. For example, it’ll be required to know how much space is needed at recharging stations and whether digital systems for bay monitoring and advance booking can help adoption.
For companies, this research will reveal how much they must invest to start electrifying their fleets, and how much they'll save in the long run. For example, electric trucks are equipped with heavily optimized, innovative battery technology that's recharged using regenerative braking, which could save money for operators by helping to extend the range.
Hitachi has experience helping shift fleets to electric: The Optimise Prime project worked with Royal Mail and other partners to develop infrastructure, systems, and an evidence base for shifting smaller trucks to electric. And beyond logistics fleets, Hitachi has developed smart EVs and charging solutions, thousands of electric buses already picking up passengers, and hybrid trains that use batteries to traverse areas not equipped with electric lines. All of this is helping to kick-start the transition to electric.
By bringing this analytics expertise to the GRIDSERVE Electric Freightway research, Hitachi ZeroCarbon is helping to create a real-world roadmap for the future of electric fleets—and that's innovation that should set the UK on the right road to net zero.
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