Battery payload loss: Why eHGVs are uneconomic at 44 tonnes

2026-04-09T12:20:00

Tim Harper

Battery weight is costing 44-tonne electric HGVs 3.3 tonnes of payload capacity — an 11.8% loss that adds £28,282 to annual operating costs compared to diesel, according to the RHA’s first operator-surveyed study. The 2-tonne derogation does not apply to six-axle artics, creating a structural barrier to heavy freight electrification.

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