Our Consortium Members
Meet the eFREIGHT 2030 Members
Each of our 14 founding consortium members has a rich history in transport and logistics.
eFREIGHT 2030 is a large and complex project involving many different specialist skills to develop and realise the project. Our collective expertise and commitment are crucial to our vision of replacing conventional HGVs with eHGVs using British technology. Together, as part of the eFREIGHT 2030 project, our operational and technical experience presents a significant opportunity to shape the future of zero emission HGVs.
Fleet operators
Our fleet operators will undertake a genuine, real-world evaluation of the technical and commercial viability of electric trucks to prove the business cases for eHGVs and a publicly accessible network of 1MW eHGV charging hubs across the country. A key part of this will be to stretch boundaries by focusing on demanding use cases, including long-range, multishift and power take-off. As use cases are proven in consortium fleets, the 100 test vehicles will be moved to new operations and backfilled with new eHGVs.
Expect Distribution is a transport, logistics, supply chain and warehousing company based in West Yorkshire.
It offers a fresh approach to transport and warehousing, focused on reliability, flexibility, and the profitability of its customers’ businesses.
The company was founded in 1988 with two vehicles. Today it has more than 360 employees, a 140-strong fleet and three warehousing sites in West Yorkshire, providing 70,000 pallet spaces. Clients include fast-moving consumer goods brands Boost Drinks and Astonish, and national retail chain Card Factory. It also has customers in sectors including pharmaceuticals, construction, automotive and office furniture.
Expect Distribution has been awarded Haulier of the Year three times in the Motor Transport Awards
We have joined eFREIGHT 2030 consortium because we want to play a key role in decarbonising our industry and see it as our responsibility to create a sustainable future. We all know that at present the economic realities make ‘doing the right thing’ and operating sustainably (dare we say profitably!) are incompatible without shared will and commitment
As part of the eFREIGHT 2030 project, we will be running a number of BEV vehicles on specific operations
The consortium provides a great platform to enable us to share knowledge, best practice and learnings to ensure the success of the project which we are taking full advantage of to ensure we fulfil our sustainability ambitions
Welch’s Transport is more than just a logistics provider—we are a dedicated partner committed to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients and the planet. With 90 years of industry experience and a steadfast commitment to excellence, Welch’s Transport is a leading force in the East of England’s logistics landscape.
Established in 1934, we have grown from humble beginnings into a respected service provider renowned for our reliability, flexibility, and customer-centric approach. With a dedicated team of 160 staff and a robust fleet of 80 vehicles, we offer a comprehensive range of logistical services tailored to our clients’ diverse requirements.
Welch’s Transport recognises the urgent need to transition towards sustainable transport solutions to mitigate environmental impact and address climate change. We are committed to making progress every way we can, and we are proud to join the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium. We believe the project is poised to revolutionize the logistics sector through the adoption of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles.
As a member of the consortium, we are actively engaged in the deployment and testing of electric HGVs to demonstrate their viability in real-world logistics operations. We are contributing our expertise, resources, and logistical capabilities to ensure the success of this groundbreaking trial, which includes the introduction of 100 electric HGV tractor units and the establishment of 32 new charging locations equipped with megawatt-charging capacity.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We are agile as a business and ideally positioned to push for changes in our industry, literally showing the way forward. However, where individual research, investment, trial and error has brought us this far, we know it’s the perfect time to share our experiences by participating in the eFREIGHT 2030 trial. This project is powered by combined forces that will truly help accelerate the industry to a more sustainable future. We couldn’t be more excited!
Retailer
Vehicle manufacturers
Our three OEM vehicle manufacturer members will supply 100 eHGVs to the fleets participating within the consortium. eFREIGHT 2030 also aims to reach out to the wider industry and has reserved a number of vehicles for shorter term use by associate members of the consortium, enabling smaller operators to evaluate the capabilities of electric trucks on a short-term basis along with appropriate interim charging solutions.
Renault Trucks has been providing professionals with transport solutions since 1894, from electric cargo bikes and light commercial vehicles to heavy duty tractors. We are committed to energy transition, and as a leading player in sustainable mobility, we have been driving the switch to electric vehicles for over ten years.
Today, Renault Trucks offers a comprehensive range of fully electric vehicles, from 650kg to 44 tonne for all uses, as well as complete support for operators in their energy transition.
For us, electric mobility is the best answer to issues surrounding air quality and noise, as well as contributing to the decarbonisation of transport and efforts to reduce global warming.
That’s why we are proud to be part of the ZEHID eFREIGHT 2030 project.
This impressive ecosystem of industry partners brings together collective expertise to drive the pace of change for the industry, accelerating the opportunity for electric tractor units and securing early-stage real world experience of articulated eHGVs across diverse operators, segments and use cases.
As a founding member of eFREIGHT 2030, Renault Trucks is supplying vehicles from its fully electric E-Tech T range to several consortium member fleets across logistics providers, retailers and leading hauliers.
Additionally, ten E-Tech Ts will be available to Associate Member SMEs and smaller fleets for short term use through leasing company Vertellus, to encourage the wider industry to get involved in testing eHGVs.
As a leading supplier of electric vehicles, with our E-Tech range of LCV and MHDs already in operation across the UK, Renault Trucks is a proven partner in transport decarbonisation. With eFREIGHT 2030, we are perfectly placed to work with innovative logistics providers to accelerate the uptake of zero emissions heavy goods vehicles and transform our industry.
Scania is a world-leading provider of transport solutions, with operations in more than 100 countries and employing more than 57,000 people globally.
Our mission is to Drive the Shift towards a more sustainable transport system, creating a world of mobility that’s better for business, society and the environment.
Sustainability has always been part of our DNA. We recognised a long time ago that we make an impact on the environment and the society we serve. And to do the right thing means taking responsibility now to ensure that in the future we are part of the solution.
Which is why we are delighted to be part of the eFreight 2030 project.
Why? For two reasons.
One, is to take the theory of creating HGV-suitable charging infrastructure and turn it into a reality – one that has been robustly tested.
Secondly, to look at how possible it is to make this theory scalable, to help the UK quickly implement robust and reliable infrastructure.
Our role is to supply the latest generation battery-electric powered Scania tractor units to support this demonstration. But our remit doesn’t end there…
With the road freight and haulage industry on the cusp of such drastic change in the short, medium and long-term, making the right decisions will be crucial.
By being present and active in this space, we can be the trusted vehicle manufacturer partner to help anybody on their own zero-emissions journey.
Whether that’s providing route and usage analysis, or choosing the most insightful telematics set-up for your business. Or selecting the right service and maintenance or finance package, Scania is well placed to help customers make their first step.
We have the solutions, the expertise and capability to support customers’ on whatever zero-emissions journey they choose to go on.
Software provider
Consortium member Dynamon is bringing a full data and planning service using its ZERO software package. This software modelling allows consortium operators to match the developing technologies to the operational challenges. plan the most efficient use of their vehicle fleet, both diesel and electric, and analyse their business model to identify when specific vehicles or routes can be decarbonised.
Data and research partner
Who is the Energy Systems Catapult
Energy Systems Catapult is an independent research and technology organisation. The Catapult’s mission is to accelerate Net Zero energy innovation. Launched in 2015 by Innovate UK, the Catapult has a team with a range of technical, engineering, consumer, commercial, incubation, digital, and policy expertise. The Catapult draws on sector-leading test facilities, modelling tools, and data collected from its back catalogue of more than 500 research projects. The Catapult uses that ‘whole energy’ system capability to support innovative companies to test, trial and scale new products and services.
Why we’re part of the consortium
Transport is the largest emitting sector in the UK so is a crucial part of its Net Zero journey. Demanding duty cycles and long lifetimes, zero emission vehicle solutions and the required supporting infrastructure for HGVs pose a challenging area for innovation and development. The Catapult has a history of exploring the future of transport system through a whole systems lens and being part of the eFREIGHT2030 consortium offers an opportunity to expand understanding of the whole system impacts of electrifying HGVs. The consortium is made up of like-minded stakeholders and innovators that are well-placed to drive the innovation needed within the supply chain, fleet operations, and supporting infrastructure.
What we’ll be doing
The Catapult aims to reach beyond the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium and amplify the learnings throughout the project by:
- Setting up the trials for success by designing the rollout of EVs and how their real-world use will contribute to the consortium’s long-term research goals. Ensuring that the eFREIGHT 2030 trials can gather the evidence required to understand the challenges and opportunities, across stakeholders, and operations of electric HGVs in the real world.
- Carrying out wide ranging research, modelling, analysis and insight work to explore the wider system and commercial considerations that need to be made to support a commercially successful and rapid decarbonisation of the freight sector.