The new battery-electric trucks, supplied by DAF Trucks, Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks, are capable of operating at over 40 tonnes. According to Wincanton, the vehicles are expected to cut the firm’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2,400 tonnes annually.
To support the deployment, Wincanton is installing depot-based charging infrastructure at key sites across the UK. These include Greenford in West London, Portbury, the Scotland Gateway Hub near Glasgow, and The WEB in Northamptonshire. The infrastructure is being developed in partnership with Voltempo and Gridserve.
The initiative forms part of two government-backed projects: Electric Freightway and eFREIGHT 2030. Both are supported by the Department for Transport through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
“It’s great to see Wincanton take delivery of 24 electric HGVs,” said Simon Buckley, Knowledge Transfer Manager – Zero Emission Mobility at Innovate UK. “These initiatives will generate valuable insights into the future of zero-emission freight in the HGV sector.”
Wincanton says it is using the rollout to gain operational insights that will inform future expansion of its low-emission fleet. The company is already employing electric vans in its home delivery services for IKEA and uses Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to fuel 85% of the fleet serving Screwfix.
