Despite taxpayers funding grants of up to £120,000 per tractor unit, just 587 of the 40,504 trucks sold in 2025 ran on batteries, new data has revealed.
From 2040 all new HGVs sold in the UK must be zero emission, with new trucks weighing 26 tonnes or less banned from sale from 2035. Given hydrogen’s slow development and near-total lack of infrastructure, this equates to a mandate for battery powered lorries.
The industry so far seems reluctant to embrace the technology, however, with 98.5% of registrations in 2025 going to diesel and alternative fuel (eg compressed gas) trucks. And, while electric HGV sales rose by 170.5% compared to 2024, with only 217 such vehicles were registered that year, the base for increase was low.
Commenting on the year’s registrations, which were down 10% overall on 2024, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which compiled the figures, says:
“Innovative new models are helping to lift zero emission truck uptake but to unlock real growth, we need faster depot grid connections and planning approvals – only then can more operators invest and capitalise on the benefits of zero emission fleets.”
