Twenty businesses, industry groups and NGOs have called on the government to bring forward the consultation on regulatory proposals for decarbonising the HGV sector by March 1 at the latest.
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, companies including Fastned, Coca-Cola, Charge UK and Tesco argue that bringing forward regulations to decarbonise the HGV and bus sectors will provide the certainty needed for the automotive sector to invest and transition to zero-emission truck and bus technologies, and for the charging and refuelling industries to invest in the infrastructure needed for a successful transition.
The letter said: “Although the UK government announced the ambition in 2021 to achieve 100% zero-emission HGV sales by 2035 for vehicles under 26 tonnes, and by 2040 for larger HGVs, and the UK was in the first wave of signatories of the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles – which calls for 100% zero-emission sales by 2040 – it is crucial to adopt a regulatory framework to support these targets and a clear roadmap for how the sector will meet them.
“The industry urgently needs certainty regarding the pathway to compliance. The European Union has already established a clear regulatory framework for decarbonising trucks, buses and coaches, providing the EU’s heavy-duty sector the lead time and certainty needed to transition.
“To remain truly competitive, we encourage the UK to accelerate progress. The ZEV mandate for cars and vans, brought in from January 2024, is an example of the UK government providing regulatory certainty for industry, that gives a clear trajectory for accelerating zero emission vehicle sales and is helping to attract billions of pounds in green EV investment from charging infrastructure to battery manufacturing.
“Bringing forward regulations to decarbonise the HGV and bus sectors will provide the certainty needed for the automotive sector to invest and transition to zero-emission truck and bus technologies, and for the charging and refuelling industries to invest in the infrastructure needed for a successful transition.
“Together, we call on the government to bring forward the consultation on regulatory proposals for decarbonising the heavy-duty sector by the 1st of March at the latest. We believe this is necessary to ensure the UK HGV industry begins to get the certainty and investment it needs to make progress on decarbonisation.”
