ON THE ROAD TO NET ZERO: DRIVING INNOVATION WITH ELECTRIC HGVS

Decarbonisation of the transport sector forms a core component of UK government policy for reaching net zero by 2050. Road transport in particular will have a key role to play in this energy transition, especially in the form of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The government has committed to making all new HGVs sold in the UK zero-emission by 2040.

HGVs are big emitters. So, whilst the share of total traffic miles driven by HGVs hovers around the 5% mark, the environmental impact is proportionately far greater. Most of the freight moved around the UK is carried on trucks (80%) and these vehicles were responsible for 20% of all domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2021.

Going clean and green therefore holds the key to turning part of the problem into part of the solution. Whilst zero-emission vehicles exist, however, it is a lack of infrastructure that has really been putting the brakes on progress so far, with uptake understandably slow.

Following a record surge in registrations, the number of HGVs in active use in the UK rose to 625,873 by the end of last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Zero-emission vehicles, though, made up just 0.5% of that total.

Support essential for bid-stage success

In terms of the innovation being procured, the project represents an unusual mix of the old and the new, says Sam Clarke, Commercial Lead at GRIDSERVE:

“From a procurement point of view, a lot of the infrastructure that we are investing in or buying for this project is incumbent within our portfolio of products already, and that helps de-risk some of the challenges. The critical innovation here is advancing all this charging technology in a package not yet seen in this combination at scale anywhere in the UK.”

Sam Clarke, Chief Vehicle Officer at GRIDSERVE:

Whilst bringing together all the various aspects and players called for vision and leadership skills, one of the most important learnings actually arose out of the earliest stages of the project. Guidance and help in applying for grant funding proved critical, explains Clarke:

“I think collaboration is the word that stands out for me. Whilst there was a clear opportunity here, it was a big ask to do something of this magnitude, with a consortium this large. So, you need committed, collaborative efforts at risk just to be able to compose an application to the competition in the first place, let alone look to deliver successful outcomes thereafter.”

Sam Clarke, Chief Vehicle Officer at GRIDSERVE:

For example, the resources required to be successful with the written application process are very different from the presentation skills needed at selection stage, he concludes:

“The competition format is well articulated as regards the gate posts and the stages that you've got to go through, but there's nuance to all of that. So, I needed the support of experienced people with good knowledge and bid-writing skills initially, backed up by a team able to present the same detail later and deliver the vision in front of a panel of assessors. These are two very differing ways of portraying essentially the same information, both equally critical for a successful application and so my prior knowledge of this process ultimately proved to be very valuable.”

Sam Clarke, Chief Vehicle Officer at GRIDSERVE:

For a relatively small business like GRIDSERVE, with limited resources, support received from a prospective project partner the size of Hitachi ZeroCarbon made all the difference.