The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) is calling on fleet operators, local authorities and businesses to join forces in building the market for HGVs that cut carbon, reduce emissions and lower fuel costs.
In earlier research, the LowCVP identified three main opportunities for cutting emissions from HGVs, which pointed to the need for action: independent testing to validate the effectiveness of retrofit technology; conversion to the use of natural gas/biomethane; and supporting the uptake of hybrid and pure electric vehicles, particularly for use in urban environments.
LowCVP will now be holding a stakeholder workshop in late November to discuss these topics.
This will include discussions on developing an accreditation scheme for after-market technologies, which is hoped will encourage operator uptake of existing carbon-reduction retrofit technology.
A test process has already been developed and is ready for peer review and launch. The next phase will be to develop an umbrella accreditation process for approving/certifying low carbon technologies for HGV applications. The scheme will also assess the operational characteristics of the technologies, and their applicability, for potential operators.
Emissions benchmarking for the latest dedicated gas and dual-fuel HGVs will also be discussed at the workshop, with LowCVP explaining its role in running a new test programme for the Department for Transport as the current Low Carbon Truck Trial (LCTT) nears its final phase.
The group also plans to explore actions needed to boost uptake of low-carbon HGV technology on urban operations.
Andy Eastlake (pictured), MD at the LowCVP, who will be speaking at next week’s Freight in the City Expo about the impact of Clean Air Zones on the commercial vehicle sector, said "Road freight in vans and trucks is responsible for around 35% of the UK’s total road CO2 emissions and there are plenty of opportunities for the sector to make a real contribution to the UK’s climate targets – as well as helping to cut operators’ costs and contribute to improvements in air quality.”
Laura Hailstone, Freight in the City project manager, said: “It’s fantastic to see the LowCVP calling on freight operators to contribute to creating a market for low carbon trucks.
“Freight in the City is focused on enabling urban deliveries to be made as cleanly as possible but there remains little choice for operators in the market for alternative-fuelled commercial vehicles. Our partnership with the LowCVP at the Freight in the City Expo is a welcome step toward to opening up a strong dialogue between the freight industry and the low-carbon technology providers.”
Visit the LowCVP on stand J12 at the Freight in the City Expo or contact Brian Robinson or Andy Eastlake via the LowCVP Secretariat for more information or to indicate your interest in attending the stakeholder workshop in late-November: secretariat@lowcvp.org.uk
