RHA position on Net Zero
The RHA is committed to making Net Zero work and seeks to work through the technical and financial hurdles preventing implementation. To inform both our work and that of others, we seek to provide constructive and evidenced feedback
Our end-goal is to see an adequate supply of affordable zero emission HGVs, coaches and vans via a vibrant seco-d hand market. This is to ensure our vital small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) businesses, who make up 95% of the logistics and coach sectors, can acquire the vehicles they need to thrive.
To meet this end-goal, we aim to shape the conditions that deliver a viable transition and give our membership the tools and information they need to invest in Net Zero.
Guiding our approach, we have defined a high-level “roadmap” setting out how the planned new diesel HGV phase-out dates of 2035 and 2040 can be achieved.
Our assessment of the Net Zero Survey results
This first survey of operator-readiness for Net Zero contains a rich seam of information and insights into how different fleets in different operations across different parts of the United Kingdom view Net Zero. We observe that, for decarbonisation to succeed, three conditions must all be in place:
- availability of zero emission vehicles for the right job
- access to energy infrastructure
- access to affordable finance
Our survey shows that, in 2025, these conditions are not yet in place for many operators
Practical advice on how to decarbonise
From trusted third-party websites:
- practical considerations for your depot (pages 29-37): https://www.gridserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Electric-Freightway-Report-2.pdf
- preliminary advice on connecting your depot to the electricity grid: https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/ehgv-charger-connections-guide-released/
General Information
About the Zero Emission and HGV Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme
About the four consortia:
About Project Jolt (an independent trial of electric HGVs
About Government policy on heavy commercial vehicle decarbonisation