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The first annual report from the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme has revealed encouraging results from the deployment of electric trucks in real-world freight operations across the UK.
Published by Innovate UK and WSP, the report provides an update on Europe's largest coordinated demonstration of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) weighing 40 tonnes or more, alongside the infrastructure needed to support them.
Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK, the programme has deployed more than 240 zero-emission trucks and established over 40 charging sites through three projects: Electric Freightway, eFreight 2030 and ZENFreight. By the end of 2026, these are expected to increase to approximately 300 vehicles and 70 infrastructure sites.
Early findings show that battery-electric HGVs weighing up to 44 tonnes are operating successfully on commercial routes across the UK. The programme has recorded more than 85,000 trips, covering 2.2 million miles and transporting over 550,000 tonnes of freight. An estimated 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has also been achieved compared with equivalent diesel operations.
For fleet operators, the findings provide valuable evidence of how zero-emission HGVs perform in everyday commercial use. With vehicle range, infrastructure availability and operating costs among the considerations influencing investment decisions, the growing body of operational data will help businesses assess the suitability of these vehicles for their own requirements.
ZEHID has now entered a five-year monitoring and evaluation phase, running until 2031, which will provide further evidence on vehicle performance, infrastructure use, costs and operational impacts.
Members can explore the findings in the full ZEHID annual report, available through Innovate UK Business Connect.
Other reports/insights are available on the Innovate UK website: Perspectives - Innovate UK Business Connect.
Members can contact [email protected] with any questions.
Elsewhere, Transport Scotland has worked with researchers at Heriot-Watt University and the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight to develop ScotVolt, an interactive dashboard exploring the charging infrastructure needed as Scotland's heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) transition from diesel to electric. The tool helps identify where en-route charging may be required, allowing users to adjust factors including season, charger capacity and vehicle efficiency to explore different scenarios.
