Electric fleet rollout begins

Maritime Transport has begun nationwide deployment of its electric HGV fleet, marking a major step in its strategy to decarbonise road freight and develop a more sustainable supply chain.

The first phase has seen 19 electric trucks enter service at sites in Wakefield and Birmingham, with a total of 56 vehicles set to be introduced across 13 depots and rail terminals during 2026. With ranges of 300 to 500 kilometres per charge, the vehicles are designed to support a wide range of regional logistics operations.

Central to the rollout is a significant investment in charging infrastructure. Maritime is developing one of the UK’s largest independent eHGV charging networks, with more than 22MW of installed power — enough to charge over 100 vehicles simultaneously. Importantly, the network will also be accessible to third-party operators, helping accelerate wider industry adoption.

The initiative forms part of the government-backed Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme, delivered with Innovate UK. Through projects such as ZENFreight and Electric Freightway, Maritime is testing electric, diesel and hydrogen vehicles in real-world conditions to generate data for future policy and investment decisions.

Delivered via its Maritime ZERO division, the company is integrating electric trucks with rail freight through a hub-and-spoke model, reducing emissions across entire logistics journeys. With strong customer interest already emerging, the rollout signals growing confidence in zero-emission freight and highlights the importance of combining vehicles, infrastructure and operational innovation.