Help transport operators jump the 15-year grid connection waiting list, SMMT tells government

Currently applicants for grid connections must wait for up to 15 years for a connection. Pointing to the recent government announcement that applications for grid connections will be fast tracked for data centres, wind farms and solar power installations, SMMT called for the same preferential treatment to be given to transport depots.

SMMT said it welcomes the strides that are already being made by both the public and private sector to roll out commercial vehicle charging hubs, but warned that unless the government finds a way to speed up the wait for grid connections, hauliers will struggle to meet its net zero targets.

Recent moves to speed up the rollout of a charging hub infrastructure include Milence’s first UK charging hub in Immingham with eight charging bays, Nissan’s £1.4m charging station at its Sunderland plant to support a fleet of 25 trucks, and the 16 rapid chargers due to open at the end of this year at the Port of Tilbury.

SMMT also hailed the government’s £200m funding towards charging hubs under the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Development (ZEHID) programme, which aims to roll out a total of 54 new infrastructure hubs along the strategic road network and the government announcement to provide a further £30m of grants under its Depot Charging Scheme to help more operators install their own chargers for their light commercial vehicle, HGV and coach fleets.

Meanwhile the Scottish government is also making funding available, via a £2m HGV Market Readiness Fund, to help operators across the country prepare for the transition.

Cenex, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, has been selected to assist in delivery of the DCS and the cash injection is projected to support 3,000 new van and 200 HGV chargepoints. DfT will cover up to 75% of eligible capital costs, with a maximum limit of £1m per organisation.

Chris Rimmer, Cenex’s head of department, policy, strategy and implementation told SMMT: “Facilitating the deployment of quality infrastructure into depots will be a crucial step in accelerating the electrification of vans, coaches and HGVs, which are the next big challenge for transport decarbonisation.”

The grant will remain available until the allocated funding has been exhausted or until 28 November – whichever comes first. Eligible costs include purchasing charge points of any type or speed, as well as labour and material expenses needed for installing and energising the charge points.

To be eligible, applicants must fit certain criteria. They must be a registered fleet operator with depots in the UK for at least one year, own lease or order at least one battery electric van or HGV as part of their fleet, and have guaranteed sufficient grid capacity at their site by 31 March next year – the date that infrastructure installations must be completed.

James Venables, Daimler Truck head of future sustainability UK, said the next phase of the scheme - how the funding is delivered - will be key.

“For [charging] points to be truly effective they must offer high enough power ratings and be sited in the right places,” he told SMMT.

“Key to making battery powered trucks a practical option for UK transport is the potential to build charging top-up time into daily work patterns – with vehicles being plugged in while they’re already stationary, rather than making extra stops to charge.

“In an ideal world, operators would be able to combine charging at their own depots, at delivery sites and at strategic points on the road network,” he added.

However, SMMT is warning that if the sector is to meet these aspirations then wider government action will need to be taken - failing that, the industry will struggle to meet the government’s net zero target that requires all newly registered trucks weighing up to 26 tonnes to be zero emission by 2035, and by 2040 for the remainder of the market

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “We cannot deliver net zero and improve air quality without decarbonising commercial vehicles. But if operators have to wait up to 15 years just to be able to plug them into their depots, there is no case for investment.

“Prioritising grid connections, alongside reform to planning and action on energy costs, would reduce barriers to adoption, ensuring commercial vehicles continue to carry the loads that keep our economy on the move whilst doing the heavy lifting the nation needs to reach net zero.”