Retail and technology giant Amazon has placed the “largest ever” order of electric trucks for its UK fleet.
As part of what the company is calling the UK’s biggest electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) order, more than 140 new electric Mercedes-Benz Truck eActros 600 trucks and eight Volvo FM Battery Electric trucks will join Amazon’s transportation network over the next 18 months.
The eHGVs will deliver products to and from fulfilment centers, sort centers and delivery stations, and deliver to customers.
To support the electric fleet, Amazon will install fast charging infrastructure across key UK sites, including 360kW electric charging points capable of charging the 40-tonne Mercedes-Benz trucks from 20 to 80 per cent in just over an hour.
Public charging infrastructure does not support the high power requirements of eHGVs, and even if it could, HGV fleets cannot take unplanned stops along a route. As such, where and when an eHGV will charge has to be strictly accounted for across depot, public and destination locations.
Amazon participated in the UK government’s zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme (ZEHID), funded by the Department for Transport and coordinated in partnership with Innovate UK. Funding through the ZEHID programme will cover around 20 of the Mercedes-Benz trucks and eight Volvo FM Battery Electric trucks.
The company is continually expanding electric deliveries across UK city centres, with recent electric cargo bike launches in Belfast and Norwich joining existing partner fleets in London, Manchester and Glasgow.
“Decarbonising our transport network is key in helping us achieve our goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040 and today’s announcement is an exciting and major step forward for us in this mission,” said Nicola Fyfe, EU VP of Amazon Logistics.
Electric HGV uptake in the UK
There are several barriers when it comes to the market for electric HGVs (eHGVs), first and foremost the fact that diesel vehicles remain significantly cheaper than greener alternatives.
Speaking on a panel at Solar Media’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Energy Summit in London last year, Neil Durno, director of market development for commercial fleets at Voltempo, said that many operators are unclear about the real-world operational costs of an eHGV fleet—beyond awareness that it will be high.
Voltempo’s focus is on the infrastructure that will support eHGV charging. It leads a consortium of 14 members including M&S, Maritime and Wincanton, that was awarded just under £50 million via the government’s zero-emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.
Most of a fleet’s charging will take place at the depot, and this is where collaboration could become key. Not only does shared infrastructure reduce upfront and maintenance costs, but also establishes more effective use.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that zero emission truck uptake rose by 30% in Q2 2024, but uptake was down 47.5% in Q3, achieving a market share of 0.5%, down from 0.8% in Q3 2023. SMMT suggested that a national infrastructure plan and reform to the Plug-in Truck Grant would help boost operator confidence and stimulate greater uptake.
