Led by Professor David Cebon and the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF), Project JOLT brings together two universities, 15 fleet operators, and five truck manufacturers – as well as three organisations offering project management and software support. It aims to research factors affecting electric HGV performance, including battery efficiency and vehicle range.
One key finding from the project is that operators could save around £0.21/km in fuel costs by switching from diesel to electric trucks (based on current fuel prices). The trials also helped hauliers identify which routes and payloads are suitable for BEVs.
Following their participation in JOLT, DP World, Howard Tenens and Port Express are now set to acquire new vehicles following these trials – which enabled them to assess range, payload capacity, and running costs on their own routes. DP World’s logistics division is making the largest investment, having acquired two MAN eTGX electric tractor units and ordered a further eight. The vehicles will join three electric trucks already operating from its Bicester depot. Once all ten new trucks are in service, electric vehicles will account for 13 of the site’s 37-strong fleet. Of the 11 destinations served from Bicester, seven are within range of MAN trucks.
Howard Tenens has also selected MAN vehicles, having ordered an eTGX tractor unit and an eTGS rigid truck. The firm plans to use its own renewable energy generation to power the vehicles and further improve the cost advantage over diesel. Meanwhile, Port Express – based in Felixstowe – has agreed a two-year lease for a Volvo FH electric tractor unit. It will operate on a regular shuttle route to Milton Keynes for a retail customers seeking to reduce its Scope 3 emissions. The company said it was introduced to electric trucks through Project JOLT as well as DP World’s Low Carbon Truck Programme. Managing director James Watts said: “Thanks to Project JOLT, we dispelled any misconceptions about electric trucks. It was then a matter of matching a vehicle to our regular routes.”
These latest commitments build on DP World’s wider efforts to help UK hauliers trial electric trucks. In June, the port operator expanded its programme with the Electric Vehicle Introduction and Transition Accelerator (EVITA), offering participating businesses access to electric HGVs for periods of up to 12 weeks. At the time, it said hoped this would “help members understand how electric HGVs perform across their own routes and supply chains in comparison to traditional diesel trucks”.
