The eight DAF 42-ton XD 350E electric HGVs will operate around the clock, handling ‘middle-mile’ deliveries between parcel hubs and mail centers. Each vehicle will be powered by ABB’s high-performance T360 chargers, capable of adding up to 60 miles of range in under 15 minutes.
Thanks to its membership of Electric Freightway, Royal Mail has installed high-speed chargers at its two parcel hubs in Daventry and Warrington, which has made it possible to introduce eHGVs. The new eHGVs will save around one thousand tons of carbon emissions annually and lower operational costs by replacing diesel trucks with zero-emission alternatives.
Electrification is central to Royal Mail’s strategy to maintain its position as the UK’s greenest parcel operator and achieve Net-Zero by 2040. The company already operates the UK’s largest electric delivery fleet, with over 7,000 vans charged on-site using 100% renewable electricity.
Electric Freightway, led by GRIDSERVE, is backed by over £100 million in investment, including £62.7 million of UK Government support. It will deliver the UK’s most advanced public charging networks for eHGVs, with more than 200 chargers capable of up to 350kW and supporting over 140 electric trucks nationwide. Data collected over five years will help accelerate the decarbonisation of the freight sector.
Electric Freightway is part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) program. The ZEHID program is backed by up to £200m in funding from the UK Government and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. With a vision to deploy around 300 of the heaviest battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on UK roads, the program will also fund and support over 70 planned public and depot-based infrastructure installations by March 2026.
Nick Dunn, Royal Mail’s National Distribution & Fleet Director, said, “Introducing electric HGVs into our network is a major milestone in decarbonising our operations and achieving our Net-Zero target. This is an important first step in learning how we can efficiently integrate eHGVs into our operations across the country.”
Sam Clarke, GRIDSERVE’s Commercial Lead, said, “We are pleased to see Royal Mail join other GRIDSERVE Electric Freightway consortium members in developing a strong network of eHGV charging depots. These locations are critical infrastructure that enable the decarbonization of freight transport across the UK.”
