Focus keyword: Zero Emission HGVs — after years of hype, the real race is between failed startups and execution-heavy incumbents. Here’s what’s really happening in the transition to electric heavy goods vehicles.
Zero Emission HGVs: From Hype to Heavy Lifting
Startups that promised a revolution in zero emission HGVs mostly delivered cap tables instead. Arrival collapsed into administration in 2024 and finally shut down in March 2025. Volta Trucks went through insolvency — again. Tevva’s assets were auctioned off in 2024. Across the Atlantic, Electric Last Mile Solutions liquidated in 2022, and Lordstown Motors filed for bankruptcy in 2023. These aren’t outliers — they’re the pattern.
Meanwhile, the supposedly “too slow” incumbents are doing the boring, valuable work that actually shifts fleets. Mercedes-Benz’s eActros 600 is now landing on UK roads in real numbers. Amazon has 200 units on order across Germany and the UK — proper middle-mile duty, not photo ops. MAN has eTruck production running in Munich. That’s what progress looks like in heavy vehicles: production lines, service networks, parts on shelves, fleets taking deliveries.
Why the majors are winning the zero emission HGV race
- Uptime beats prototypes.
- Bankable TCO and residuals beat vibes.
- Infrastructure matters — OEM-backed build-outs like Milence (Daimler–Volvo–Traton) are laying Europe’s heavy-duty charging backbone.
A great demo ≠ a great fleet. As I wrote in Born to Disrupt: success = timing + grit + chaos. We’ve had the chaos. Now it’s uptime, service coverage, and unit economics.
Planning your 2026–2030 fleet capex
Stop waiting for a miracle van that never ships. Start negotiating TCO with the OEMs delivering tractors today — and treat charging as a first-class workstream: grid connection, hardware selection, uptime SLAs, and residual values. Infrastructure isn’t an afterthought; it’s the new engine room.
Next moves for operators adopting zero emission HGVs
- Shortlist zero emission truck platforms you can actually take delivery of this year.
- Run duty-cycle pilots that stress the platform, not the PR team.
- Lock vehicle orders and charging plans together under one project manager.
Further reading: Decarbonising Mobility: Hydrogen vs Battery · Hydrogen Storage Technologies · Green Steel and CBAM
