Strategic Innovation Fund

Future Fleet

Project Data

Start date:

02/03/2026

End date:

07/08/2026

Budget:

£555,350

Summary

Future Fleet will support the freight industry’s transition to electric heavy goods vehicles by identifying the best places to charge, minimising costs and reducing pressure on local electricity networks. It provides clear, practical guidance to secure cheaper, faster and more reliable access to the grid.

What is the project about?

Freight companies across the UK are preparing to transition to electric heavy goods vehicles as part of the nation’s journey to Net Zero. Because these vehicles require significant power to charge, depots, hubs and motorway service areas could place substantial demand on local electricity networks. If everyone connects in the same way and at the same time, costs could increase and upgrades, such as new substations, cables and overhead lines, may be required.

Future Fleet will build a detailed understanding of what different logistics operators need to charge their vehicles: how much energy they use, how often they travel, and where charging infrastructure is most likely to be needed.

The project will also explore straightforward ways to lower costs and reduce peak demand, including using local battery storage, on‑site solar generation, flexible charging schedules and shared charging hubs. These approaches can help avoid unnecessary network upgrades and enable faster, more affordable access to connections.

By working directly with operators, technology providers and energy specialists, Future Fleet will demonstrate how electric HGVs can be deployed at scale in a way that works for both the logistics industry and the electricity system.

How we’re doing it

Future Fleet brings together specialists in fleet operations, charging technology, energy systems and network planning. The project begins by working closely with operators to understand different fleet types, depot sizes, operating patterns and charging requirements. This insight will be used to develop practical “archetypes” that reflect how lorries are used in the real world.

Next, the team will test a range of smart energy solutions, such as timed charging, on‑site battery storage, solar generation and flexible connection options. Each approach will be matched to the fleet archetypes to identify the most effective ways to lower energy costs and reduce pressure on the electricity grid.

The project will then model how large‑scale charging could impact local electricity networks. Using geospatial data, the team will identify areas where new charging sites might create high peak demand. This will help network operators plan upgrades more efficiently and prioritise locations that need additional support.

Finally, Future Fleet will set out clear options for future real‑world trials. These will outline the technologies required, criteria for choosing sites, the data that needs to be captured and the measures of success.

Throughout the project, ongoing engagement with operators, developers and the wider freight sector will ensure all recommendations are practical, realistic and easy to adopt.

What makes it innovative

Future Fleet is one of the first UK projects to combine real‑world fleet behaviour, smart charging, business models and detailed network mapping specifically for electric HGVs. Instead of looking only at chargers or vehicles, it takes a whole‑system view: how lorries operate, where they travel, how depots function and how electricity networks can support the transition.

The project goes beyond traditional smart charging by examining how changes to duty cycles, scheduling and site operations could unlock new flexibility and reduce costs. It will also explore innovative shared‑infrastructure models, such as depot‑as‑a‑service and multi‑operator charging hubs.

Another key innovation is the depth of its geospatial analysis. While national models provide only a high‑level picture, Future Fleet creates far more detailed local insights, showing exactly where new charging demand could emerge across the distribution network. This helps electricity networks target upgrades in the right places and avoid unnecessary investment.

By linking technology, commercial models and energy planning, Future Fleet offers a practical blueprint for scaling up electric freight across the UK at lower cost and with greater confidence.

What we’re learning

Future Fleet will demonstrate how freight operators of all sizes can transition to electric vehicles in ways that minimise costs and avoid delays. The project will identify which charging strategies work best for different depot types, for example, overnight charging for return‑to‑base fleets and high‑power solutions for long‑distance operators.

It will also assess how smart energy choices such as battery storage, on‑site solar, flexible tariffs and managed charging can reduce peak demand and help avoid costly network upgrades. The findings will show where these options deliver the greatest savings, which fleets benefit most, and what practical challenges operators encounter when adopting them.

For electricity networks, the project will pinpoint where future eHGV charging demand is most likely to emerge, which areas may require reinforcement, and where flexible approaches could delay or remove the need for upgrades. This modelling will strengthen freight‑related network planning and help prioritise investment more effectively.

Finally, Future Fleet will clarify what operators, site owners and technology providers need from upcoming real‑world trials, including suitable trial locations, data requirements, customer roles and the level of technology readiness across the market.

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