Angus Webb (pictured above), CEO of Dynamon, said the company’s ZERO software will ensure operators will be able to confidently put e-HGVs on the road and not only replace diesel, but do so within acceptable operational, cost and scheduling parameters.

The eFREIGHT 2030 project is intended to demonstrate what electric HGVs can do in real world conditions by taking on roles that diesel trucks usually complete and illustrating a business case for their use, as well providing a publicly accessible network of 1MW eHGV charging hubs across the country.

Funded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK, the £63 million trial involves a consortium of fleet operators including retailer Marks & Spencer, vehicle manufacturers DAF Trucks, Renault Trucks and Scania Trucks, with charging infrastructure providers Voltempo Group and Fleete Group.

Dynamon is providing the software which will allow all other partners to put the right components in place over the next 18 months before the on-the-road trials begin, including installing chargepoints in the correct place, choosing the right tractors and trailers, planning routes and identifying suitable work schedules.

Webb said, “This isn’t about giving electric HGVs easy routes and light schedules for demonstration purposes, it is about stress testing them in hard working environments in which they will have to deliver results.

“The trial will prove what happens when you max out e-HGVs on a daily basis.”

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The Joint Operator Logistics Trial (JOLT) programme, led by The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF), involves partners including John Lewis Partnership, Volvo Trucks UK, and Flexible Power Systems, a software company specialising in fleet management optimisation software for EVs.

John Lewis Partnership will use an eHGV from Volvo Trucks UK in its logistics operation as part of the project.

The vehicle, a Volvo FM 4×2 tractor unit, is a heavy-duty truck that can carry up to 42 tonnes and can cover up to 300km on a single charge.

JOLT partners will pool data and learning from their experiences with eHGVs in retail, delivery and manufacturing operations to help develop transition plans for their own businesses and for the wider logistics industry.

Specialists at Cambridge University and Heriot-Watt University will analyse and model data including vehicle and charger performance, operational efficiency and costs across as many industry uses as possible.

Professor Philip Greening, an expert in sustainable transport and logistics at Heriot-Watt University and co-director of The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, said, “A key feature of this project is understanding how the different range and load capabilities of electric heavy goods vehicles – as well as downtime for charging – will affect the efficiency of operators and supply chains.

“We’ll do this by analysing logistics data and technical information collected through sophisticated computer simulations known as digital twins, to help us understand operations at scale.”

Justin Laney, Partner and General Manager of Central Transport for John Lewis Partnership said: “We are delighted to be kick starting this important initiative, which will inform our journey beyond eliminating fossil fuel from our fleet by 2030 to achieving a zero-carbon fleet by 2035.”

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The ‘Electric Freightway’ project, which consists of a consortium of 33 partner and member companies, will receive additional funding from the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme.

In the initial two-year long procurement phase of the project, eHGV charging hubs will be installed at both motorway services areas and truck stops to support long distance travel around major trunk roads in the UK.

The project also includes more than 10 commercial depot charging locations for eHGVs.

In total, more than 200 chargers capable of delivering 350kW will be installed, including an initial trial of two 1-megawatt-capacity chargers.

About 140 eHGVs will initially be brought into fleets by UK-based companies to use the new network, with multi-national and small businesses collaborating side-by-side.

Data collection will run for five years to collate valuable insights into the electrification of eHGVs to support the ongoing transition.

Gridserve’s role as project lead involves managing and delivering the Electric Freightway project and sourcing the data needed to inform further progress towards eHGV adoption.

Gridserve will develop, deliver and operate the eHGV charging hubs at the motorway service areas as well as the commercial depot charging offerings.

Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve said, “This is a pioneering project for Gridserve that aims to move the needle in the debate about how to deliver net zero transport for heavy goods vehicles.

“We look forward to demonstrating and proving that battery powered electric heavy goods vehicles represents the optimum path to choose, delivering significant benefits over other technology routes in respect of ease and scale of deployment, driver experience, and favourable economics.”

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