One of the largest impacts the freighting industry has on the environment is the impact of HGV vehicles. According to the UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC), HGV vehicles are responsible for 17% of total surface transport emissions which is shockingly high considering these vehicles only make up 5% of all vehicles on the road. The reason for this abnormally high volume of carbon emissions is a result of the vehicle weight and average mileage.
The UK government’s current initiatives focusing on the reduction of these emissions are extremely limited, relying on the development of novel technology in the future. The weak guidance these initiatives have provided resulted in a weak adoption of sustainable practice within the industry.
Looking to the future
A way in which the freight industry can reduce the impact of the HGV vehicle emissions, is through the implementation of fully electric HGV’s. No-emission electric technology has been in the pipe-line for over ten years with companies such as Tesla or Jaguar already favoring this form of engineering within the car models.
However, skepticism has existed in regards to the application of this technology into HGVs. In spite of the doubt, some companies in the UK, such as Amazon, have been able to bring forward fully electric HGV’s into their fleet as of 2022, pledging to be have reach net zero by 2030, 10 years before the UK’s expected date. Additionally, companies such as Ford or Volvo are projecting 2023 as a release date for their fully electronic HGV models.
Additional Effects of Electric HGV’s
Taking a broad view on the impact of using Electric HGVs, the adoption of this technology can also improve the operational activities of a company. For example, electric HGVs are much cheaper to run, as rates for recharging electric vehicles are significantly cheaper in comparison to diesel refueling, especially considering the recently soaring fuel prices.
Furthering this, the maintenance costs of Electric HGV is another significant reason for adopting this technology into your fleet. As detailed by the Dutch manufacturers’ BOVAG Truck Onderzoek 2022 survey, the maintenance costs for electric HGV’s are expected to be 30% lower than diesel HGVs. Although these figures are taken from data regarding electric buses and lorries, the figures are still representative for HGVs due to the similarity of maintenance needed in both.
Although currently being classified as new technology and holding the hefty price tag which is associated with it, manufacturing is expecting to make HGV prices competitive as of 2030, in regards to purchase price and maintenance.
Here at the Welch group we aim to provide the most environmentally conscious transportation in the industry. To discuss your transportation needs and find the right solution for you, get in touch today.