As the UK moves closer to a net-zero future in the lead up to 2050, electric truck manufacturer Tevva is calling on the government to bring incentives in line with those available in mainland Europe. In response to the Net Zero Review, which highlighted a “historic opportunity” for net zero in the UK, Tevva is seeking greater support for fleets making the switch to electric.
Despite the fact that heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) make up a small percentage of vehicles on roads (just 2%), they are responsible for over a quarter of all road transport emissions. This emissions, in turn, is a major cause of an estimated 350,000 premature deaths per year in Europe.
Asher Bennett, CEO and founder of Tevva, commented, “Clearly more must be done to accelerate the decarbonisation of commercial vehicles and we’re asking the UK Government to bring truck incentives in line with those found in Europe.”
As a result of Brexit, the UK is now free from EU state aid rules and the British Government is already offering incentive discounts at point of sale and up to £25,000 for electric large trucks - however this is minimal compared to that on offer in Germany and the Netherlands.
Bennett noted, “In Germany, for instance, the government provides 80% of the price differential between diesel and battery electric trucks and in the Netherlands it’s 45%. That’s potentially between £50,000 - £90,000 per truck more than what’s on offer in the UK. We appreciate the British Government’s support which enables us to make our 7.5t electric battery truck even more appealing to fleets but for this country to meet its net zero goals more action is needed to stimulate electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK which is the only bright spot in an industry that has reached its lowest ebb for over 60-years."
Whilst been confident that electric trucks will save fleets money over the lifetime of the vehicle and improve their fleet and driver performance, ensuring the market’s ready to adopt e-trucks on scale does require greater incentivisation. Bennett concluded, “The electrification of trucks is inevitable and the technology has developed to a point where an electric truck is a viable proposition for many operators. There’s a huge appetite among fleets for electric trucks, as the opportunity to reduce emissions makes good business sense.