The newly-launched eFREIGHT 2030 trial will see electric HGVs pushed to their limit and prove they have place in logistics fleets in the next decade, according to the boss of Dynamon, the project’s software provider.
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.”
