UK sounds death knell for new diesel trucks

The UK Government has outlined its plans to phase out non-zero-emission commercial vehicles, in a staged transition that would see the sale of new petrol- and diesel-engined LCVs banned from 2030, medium-duty trucks from 2035, and heavy-duty trucks from 2040.

The paper, Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain, which was published last week, examines a raft of strategies that Britain will harness in order to meet its ambitious emissions reduction targets, pending further consultation with industry and other related stakeholders. 

“The European truck manufacturers’ association, ACEA, has already pledged to end the sale of fossil-fuelled HGVs [Heavy Goods Vehicles] by 2040,” states the paper. 

“We are consulting on ending the sale of new non-zero-emissions HGVs by 2035, for vehicles 26 tonnes and under, and 2040 for vehicles over 26 tonnes. 

“We are proposing two different dates to encourage faster uptake of zero emission technology in smaller vehicles, where this product is already reaching the market.” 

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Under the framework, LCVs up to 3.5 tonnes will have to have “significant zero-emissions capability” to be sold new from 2030 and have “zero emissions at the tailpipe” from 2035. 

New commercial vehicles with a GVM of between 3.5 tonnes and 26 tonnes will need to be emissions free (at the tailpipe) from 2035, “or earlier if a faster transition seems feasible”, while new commercial vehicles with a GVM of over 26 tonnes will need to be emissions free (at the tailpipe) from 2040 (or earlier, if feasible). 

The paper also outlines the UK Government’s investment in supporting industry to develop zero-emission commercial vehicle technology and to develop refueling infrastructure, along with the ways in which it hopes to stimulate demand for clean vehicles via plug-in grants and payload increases for zero-emission trucks, among other incentives. 

This will be coupled with a ‘modal shift’ of freight from road to “more sustainable alternatives such as rail, cargo bike and inland waterways”, the paper states, which the UK Government sees as a means to not only reduce carbon emissions, but also to reduce road congestion and noise pollution. 

While the plan is still subject to extensive consultation, it highlights the sense of urgency with which the UK Government is facing its emissions reduction obligations. And while the island nation is far removed from Australia in terms of geographic size and population density, this latest announcement is yet another indicator that the freight and logistics sector – and indeed our wider society – has embarked on a transformation the likes of which we’ve never seen.