DP World is offering hauliers an opportunity to trial electric lorries through a rental initiative at Southampton port.
The electric vehicle introduction and transition accelerator (EVITA) trial builds on the port operator’s pilot launched in January with the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Sustainable Road Freight and Project JOLT.
It starts next month and runs until 2029, enabling members to use electric HGVs for 12 weeks in real world conditions and with costs aligned to diesel vehicles.
DP World said the EVITA trial would help members understand how electric HGVs perform across their own routes and supply chains in comparison to traditional diesel trucks.
Williams Shipping and ATL Haulage have already received electric lorries and they are fitted with tracking systems that allow participating customers to analyse their performance, efficiency and environmental impact.
John Trenchard, VP sustainable supply chains at DP World, said: “More than 80% of UK freight is transported by road, so decarbonisation initiatives that empower hauliers to take action on their own supply chains are key for the UK energy transition.
“With the EVITA trial, DP World is demonstrating its commitment to enabling the industry to adopt more sustainable methods of moving goods through a practical and commercially attractive pathway.
“DP World see its future growth in the net zero economy, so over the next three years, we’re aiming to provide around 100 trial opportunities for hauliers on the programme, giving them early access to the real-world experiences of managing their operations with electric trucks.”
ATL MD Drew Roberts said: “We’re doing exactly what EVITA was designed for – testing, learning and adapting.
“Integrating the new vehicle into our daily container moves from DP World Southampton has highlighted the operational differences between EV and ICE management in ways you can only understand by doing it.
“Driver feedback has been positive so far and the questions the trial is raising are the right ones.
“We came into this to de-risk the unknown and that’s exactly what’s happening,” he added.
