Lack of charging facilities a 'barrier' for electric lorries

Fleet operators and drivers say the limited availability of public and depot charging facilities is a key barrier to wider adoption of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) in the UK, even as early users praise the vehicles' performance.

Sitting in the cab of one of the UK's first electric lorries, a Renault e-Tech T, a driver described the vehicle as powerful, quiet and responsive, but said the shorter range compared with diesel trucks forces firms to restrict the electric vehicles to local and regional work. Welch's Transport, based in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, has three eHGVs in a fleet of about 70 diesel trucks and limits their use to routes that keep the vehicles within their charging capability.

Liam Ely, who has driven for Welch's Transport for four years, told a BBC business reporter he enjoys the "instant torque" and "very smooth uptake of power" of the electric vehicle. The cabin is notably quieter than diesel equivalents, and the electric motor's hum is largely imperceptible until rolling noise rises with speed.

Manufacturers and operators say the trade-off is range. On a full charge and with a full load, some eHGVs can travel up to about 200 miles (320 kilometres), compared with ranges of up to roughly 1,500 miles for a diesel truck under typical conditions. That difference leads firms such as Welch's to confine eHGVs to predictable, shorter-haul routes where they can reliably return to a depot or known charging point.

Companies that have trialled or deployed early electric trucks report operational constraints tied to charging infrastructure rather than vehicle performance. Drivers and transport managers say a lack of fast, reliable chargers on major freight routes and at roadside service areas, as well as limited capacity at some depots, increases complexity for scheduling and reduces flexibility for drivers who may be reassigned or diverted.

The operators' experience highlights a logistical challenge for the freight sector's transition to lower-emission vehicles. Electric lorries are seen by governments and environmental groups as a means to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and local air pollution from road freight, but those benefits depend on broader uptake beyond pilot fleets and the build-out of charging networks that can serve heavy vehicles.

Welch's Transport's approach illustrates how firms are adapting in the near term: integrating a small number of eHGVs alongside diesel trucks, using electric vehicles on return-to-base or regional runs, and planning routes to remain within the vehicles' stated ranges. Drivers report positive handling and performance, but operations staff must account for charge scheduling and potential downtime tied to recharging.

The experiences from early adopters indicate that without more widespread charging infrastructure — including high-power chargers suitable for heavy vehicles on trunk roads and motorway service stations, and upgrades at depots to handle simultaneous charging of multiple large batteries — many operators will find it difficult to deploy electric trucks for long-haul and mixed-route fleets.

Transport and energy planners say coordinated investment will be necessary to match vehicle rollout with charging capacity. For now, operators testing eHGVs continue to emphasise real-world benefits including lower cabin noise and strong acceleration, while also warning that the shortage of convenient charging options remains an operational and commercial constraint on scaling up electric freight across the UK.