Strategic Innovation Fund

Future Fleet

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What the project is about How we’re doing it What makes it innovative What we’re learning

Project Data

Start date:

02/03/2026

End date:

07/08/2026

Budget:

£555,350

Summary

Future Fleet will help the freight industry shift to electric heavy goods vehicles by modelling the best places to charge, how to keep costs down, and how to avoid putting too much pressure on local electricity networks. It gives clear, practical steps for cheaper, faster and more reliable grid access.

What is the project about?

Freight companies across the UK are preparing to switch to electric heavy goods vehicles as part of the country’s move to Net Zero. These vehicles need a lot of power to charge, meaning depots, hubs and motorway sites could place big demands on local electricity networks. If everyone connects in the same way, at the same time, costs could rise and upgrades like new substations, cables and wires may be needed.

Future Fleet builds on the eFREIGHT 2030 project to create a clear, evidence-based picture of how different types of logistics operators charge their vehicles, how much energy they use, how frequently they operate, and where charging demand is most likely to arise.

The project will also explore simple ways to lower costs and reduce peak demand, such as using local batteries, on-site solar, flexible charging schedules and shared charging hubs. These choices can help avoid unnecessary network upgrades and support faster, more affordable access to connections.

By working with real operators, technology suppliers and energy specialists, Future Fleet will show how electric lorries can be introduced at scale in a way that works for both the industry and the electricity system

How we’re doing it

Future Fleet will create a practical blueprint for electrifying freight by helping operators understand and adopt smart, flexible charging and operational strategies. The project brings together logistics operators including Maritime and Voltloader, megawatt-charging specialist Voltempo, and industry partners Energy Systems Catapult and Baringa. Together, they will define real-world operator archetypes and match them with tailored energy solutions to identify the most cost-effective pathways to large-scale decarbonisation.

The project will test a range of smart energy approaches. These include timed charging, on-site energy storage, solar generation and flexible connection options. Each option will be matched to the fleet archetypes to identify the best ways to lower energy costs and reduce pressure on the grid.

The team will then model how large-scale charging could affect the electricity network in different areas. Using geospatial data, they will pinpoint locations where new charging sites could cause high peak demand. This modelling will help electricity networks plan upgrades more efficiently and prioritise areas that need support.

Finally, the project will design clear options for future real-world trials. These will set out what technology is needed, how sites should be chosen, what data must be collected and what success looks like.

What makes it innovative

Future Fleet is one of the first projects in the UK to combine real fleet behaviour, smart charging, business models and detailed network mapping specifically for electric HGVs. Rather than focusing only on chargers or vehicles, it looks at the whole system: how lorries operate, where they travel, how depots work and how electricity networks can support the transition.

The project goes beyond standard smart charging by exploring how changing duty cycles, scheduling, and site operations could unlock flexibility and reduce costs. It will also look at new shared infrastructure models, including depot-as-a-service and charging hubs that support multiple operators.

Another innovative feature is the level of detail in the geospatial analysis. While national models exist, they are high-level. Future Fleet builds far greater local detail, showing exactly where new charging loads could appear across the distribution network. This helps electricity networks plan upgrades in the best places, avoiding unnecessary spending.

What we’re learning

Future Fleet will show how freight operators of different sizes can electrify in a way that keeps costs down and avoids delays. We will learn which charging approaches work best for various depot types, such as overnight charging for return‑to‑base fleets or high‑power charging for long‑distance operators.

We will also understand how different smart energy choices, like batteries, solar, flexible tariffs and managed charging, can reduce peak loads and help avoid expensive network upgrades. The project will reveal where these options save the most money, which types of fleets benefit most, and what practical barriers operators face.

For electricity networks, we will learn where future eHGV charging demand is most likely to grow, which areas may need reinforcement, and where flexible approaches could remove or delay the need for upgrades. The modelling will improve how networks plan for freight, making it easier to prioritise investment.

Finally, we will learn what operators, site owners and technology providers need from future trials. This includes the best trial sites, data requirements, customer roles and the technology readiness across the market.

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