DP World has expanded its Low Carbon Truck Programme in the UK with a new electric heavy goods vehicle (HGV) trial.
The latest phase, called the Electric Vehicle Introduction and Transition Accelerator (EVITA), will begin in July and run until 2029. The programme allows hauliers to rent electric HGVs for 12 weeks at costs comparable to diesel trucks.
The initiative builds on a pilot launched in January with the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Sustainable Road Freight and Project JOLT.
More than 1,500 trucks from over 60 UK hauliers are now registered with the Low Carbon Truck Programme.
The EVITA trial allows operators to evaluate electric HGVs on their own routes. Participating vehicles include models from Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and MAN. A fourth vehicle will join the programme in October.
Williams Shipping and ATL Haulage have already received electric trucks. Each vehicle includes tracking technology to monitor performance, efficiency and emissions.
DP World expects to offer around 100 trial opportunities over the next three years through its partnership with Hireco.
“More than 80% of UK freight moves by road, so practical decarbonisation initiatives are essential,” said John Trenchard, Vice President, Sustainable Supply Chains – Europe at DP World. “The EVITA trial gives hauliers a commercially attractive way to test electric trucks in real-world operations.”
Drew Roberts, Managing Director of ATL Haulage, said the trial is helping the company understand the operational differences between electric and diesel trucks. “We came into this to de-risk the unknown, and that’s exactly what’s happening.”
The programme also provides access to DP World’s twin 360kWh electric HGV charging stations at Southampton, where drivers receive complimentary coffee while charging.
