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French construction materials manufacturer and supplier Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics have taken a further step towards their joint goal of zero-emissions logistics by introducing six fully electric HGVs into their UK operations.
The five tractor units and one rigid, supplied by Volvo Trucks, will operate across the Midlands as part of the UK government-backed Zero Emission HGV & Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme and are due to enter service between April and June 2026.
According to XPO Logistics the six electric HGVs are expected to cut CO₂e emissions by almost 800,000kg per year, equivalent to 3,530 tonnes over the five-year ZEHID programme. This equates to the emissions produced by 2,353 UK households.
To support the rollout, the partners have worked with Gridserve to install a ‘back-to-base supercharging’ facility at the Saint-Gobain logistics hub in Gotham, Nottinghamshire. The site features six charging points capable of charging the vehicles to 80% in 90 minutes and fully charging them in under two hours.
The initiative follows more than 18 months of collaboration between Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics on the electric HGV project, with the first trial deliveries scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year.
Over the course of the five-year programme, the partners expect to complete more than 12,000 customer deliveries while avoiding more than 3,500 tonnes of CO₂e. The Gotham hub will support deliveries from both British Gypsum East Leake and the Saint-Gobain Midlands distribution centre, with a target of two delivery cycles per vehicle per day.
Dean O’Sullivan, Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland chief executive, said the trial represents a further step towards the company’s net-zero ambitions. “The extended operational trials of the all-electric vehicles are part of our wider journey to reduce the impact of our business and ultimately meet our goal to be a net-zero carbon business.
“We’ll be working closely with customers during this period and our drivers to get their feedback and see how all-electric HGV’s at scale can fit into our logistics service offer. We’re excited to see what’s possible as we push for cleaner, smarter deliveries that support our customers.”
The ZEHID programme, launched in October 2023 with £200m of UK government funding, aims to accelerate the rollout of zero-emission HGVs and supporting infrastructure. HGVs account for around 20% of UK transport emissions.
Abdi Ali, Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland national key account manager, said: “As part of our long-term partnership with XPO Logistics, we are constantly looking at ways to modernise and improve the environmental impact of its fleet.
“The addition of the six new Volvo FM Electric trucks mark another step forward and demonstrate XPO Logistics’ confidence in the technology.
“It is hugely rewarding to see our zero-tailpipe emission solutions supporting forward-thinking companies like Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics – organisations with a clear vision of their sustainability strategies, who are acting now to drive towards a cleaner and greener future.”
Dan Myers, XPO Logistics senior vice president of supply chain – Europe, added: “This is the latest effort in our joint goal of doing business in a responsible way, working towards our shared target of reducing our emissions to zero with Saint-Gobain. This initiative moves us a significant step closer to sustainable construction.”
Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics also collaborate on logistics operations across Central and Southern Europe and Africa, where they are pursuing similar decarbonisation initiatives while maintaining end-to-end supply chain services.
