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RHA welcome this long-awaited announcement from government.
On 19 October 2023, the Department for Transport set out how its £200m pledge to support its Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator Programme (ZERFD) will be taken forward.
We (RHA) welcome this long-awaited announcement from government and see the trials as a significant step in helping our industry on its decarbonisation journey.
We’re conscious that our members will want to know more about the trials and what they mean for the future of our industry. We have therefore compiled some FAQs which we will routinely update as new information emerges.
What is the ZERFD Programme?
The Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator (ZERFD) Programme is the £200m investment by the Department of Transport to help the logistics sector drive down CO2 emissions from the HGV fleet. It forms part of the long-term agenda to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
What do the trials set out to achieve?
The aim of ZERFD is to support the introduction of electric and hydrogen-powered trucks onto our roads. The Government believes an effective way to do this is via “demonstrators” or trials. The idea is that these vehicles are introduced and tested in real-world conditions so that everyone can be assured they perform as intended.
Through ZERFD, data will be routinely published on how these vehicles perform. In turn, this will allow you to inform your plans to bring these vehicles into your fleets in due course.
Will ZERFD affect me?
In time, yes.
ZERFD is a medium-term programme lasting at least seven years to trial electric and hydrogen powered goods vehicles. Even if you are not directly participating in the trial, you should keep abreast of how it develops and any outcomes that arise from it.
Outcomes from ZERFD will be used by many different stakeholders to inform their Net Zero plans. For example, we can expect the UK Government to use it to inform its policies on how to manage the transition away from diesel HGVs. This is so that the UK can meet its Net Zero targets set by Parliament.
Bear in mind that the Government has also set dates when it plans to stop the sale of new diesel HGVs - these are 2035 for HGVs weighing up to 26 tonnes and 2040 for all HGVs. ZERFD will clearly inform whether these dates are feasible – however, we should not assume that future Governments will change these dates.
We therefore advise that you should start future-proofing your businesses now so that you can start planning how to bring “zero emission” vehicles into your fleets in due course.
What will the trial look like?
Through ZERFD, the Government’s aim is to introduce 370 “zero emission” trucks on to our roads and provide up to 60 refuelling stations. With this provision in place, the trucks can then be tested in UK-specific conditions to ensure they perform as required. Read more
Source: RHA
