In the response to the government’s Ten Point Plan on Reaching Net Zero, Alex Veitch, General Manager for Public Policy at Logistics UK, comments:

“Logistics businesses fully support the government’s aim to transition to a low-carbon economy, but the switch must be affordable for businesses. Logistics UK is urging government to ensure there are practical alternatives to petrol and diesel HGVs before a phase-out of these vehicles is considered. In order for the commercial sector to be able to deliver, government should work with industry to develop a long-term pathway to decarbonisation, providing clarity on the technology and alternative fuels it supports so that manufacturers and operators can invest with confidence.

“In terms of smaller vehicles, while logistics businesses are committed to switching to electric vans, the government must introduce a fairer way of funding grid reinforcements and energy supply upgrades; currently, the onus lies on a business to fund upgrades to the entire local electricity hub if there is insufficient energy supply in the existing infrastructure to power its electric vehicle fleet. Without a resilient energy and charging infrastructure the switch to electric vehicles will be a pipe dream for businesses.

“It is good to see that some models of hybrids will be excluded from the earlier ban date as they offer a practical bridging technology for van operators working in areas where access to charging infrastructure or electric vehicle model availability is limited.”