What lies ahead for road transport decarbonisation?

As the logistics industry powers towards its goal of net zero emissions by 2050 – and more specifically, the phase-out of the sale of new diesel and petrol vans in the next eight years – 2022 is set to be a transformative 12 months for the decarbonisation of road transport. Michelle Gardner from Logistics UK highlights the recent progress made and looks ahead to what is in store

Following a lacklustre performance in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the van market has bounced back strongly, with new van registrations in the UK growing by more than a fifth (21.4 per cent) in 2021, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
    
For many businesses operating van fleets, transitioning to zero tailpipe emissions will be achieved through adoption of battery electric powertrains. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are the most advanced zero tailpipe emission technology currently on the market, with many van models now on the market. In fact, their uptake has more than doubled in 2021, although zero emission vans still only represent a 3.6 per cent share of the market; currently, BEVs account for one in nine car registrations as opposed to one in 28 in the vans market.
    
With the sale of new diesel and petrol vans scheduled to be phased out in under eight years’ time – new hybrid vehicles will still be available until 2035 – Logistics UK is urging operators of van fleets looking to replace their vehicles in the coming months to give serious consideration to the zero-emission vans available on the market currently and to develop their knowledge on what infrastructure is required to facilitate the move to zero emission van fleets.
    
Heavy goods vehicles

For users of HGVs, the picture is more undefined. For lighter HGVs that travel shorter distances, the right solution may be battery electric, with some vehicles being developed already. For larger, long-haul HGVs and those that carry heavy loads, the solution is yet to be determined, with battery electric, electric road systems and hydrogen solutions are all being explored. To help lower their emissions in the short-term, operators are continuing to explore and invest in low carbon fuels, such as biomethane.
    
Logistics UK is encouraging its members to decarbonise their operations – both in the vehicles they use and the supporting infrastructure – as quickly and as effectively as possible as through its Route to Net Zero commitment.
    
Several of Logistics UK’s members – including Scottish Water, John Lewis Partnership, John Raymond Transport Ltd, UPS, DHL Supply Chain, Royal Borough of Greenwich and Howard Tenens Logistics Ltd – have signed up to the commitment and are beginning their work to inspire and educate others on their decarbonisation journeys.
    
While there are many steps businesses can take now to decarbonise their operations, government support and manufacturer innovation is essential. The government has committed to spending £183 million on transport decarbonisation, including trials and rollouts of hydrogen technologies for buses, HGV, shipping and aviation. Up to £20 million has already been allocated to design trials for both electric road systems and hydrogen long haul HGVs and to run a battery electric trial to establish the feasibility, deliverability, costs and benefits of each technology.
    
While industry awaits the results of the trials, uncertainty over feasible options for zero emission HGVs remain. Logistics UK is urging the government to provide certainty on its preferred route to decarbonisation for these vehicles by mid-2020s to make the 2050 net zero deadline possible.
    
Infrastructure concerns

All these future fuel solutions will require substantial infrastructure investment and energy capacity. While the estimated amount of infrastructure needed to support zero tailpipe emission vehicles varies, the challenge must not be underestimated.
    
Midlands Connect has estimated that in the Midlands alone, the cost to install the recharging and refuelling infrastructure required by the freight industry by 2040 could be as high as £800 million.
    
The UK government has committed to all of the nation’s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2035, a move that is vital to supporting zero emission operations.
    
And there are other issues to consider too: for example, operators have expressed concern over how to manage batteries sustainably at the end of their useful life in vehicles. Clear information about how to reuse, recycle and dispose of electric vehicle batteries must be provided as operators consider which vehicles and technologies to adopt.
    
While the road to net zero emissions is proving to be challenging and complex, the determination we are seeing from both the logistics industry and the government is encouraging and will be instrumental in making this a reality. With both fractions working together – and on board fully with the decarbonisation targets – at Logistics UK we are confident road transport will be transformed in the coming years.

For more information on Logistics UK’s decarbonisation work, and to sign up to the Route to Net Zero pledge as a Logistics UK member, please complete the application form, available to download on the following page: logistics.org.uk/environment/netzero