Innovate UK, in partnership with WSP, has published the first annual report from the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID), marking a significant milestone in the project. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the programme’s progress, early findings and future direction.
Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered through Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, ZEHID, is Europe’s largest coordinated demonstration of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (40 tonne plus) and supporting infrastructure.
Through the deployment of battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles across real-world freight operations, ZEHID is generating the evidence needed to support future industry investment, infrastructure planning and policymaking.
The programme’s active projects: Electric Freightway, eFreight 2030 and ZENFreight, have so far deployed more than 240 zero-emission trucks and established over 40 charging sites across the UK. By the end of 2026, they are expected to reach around 300 vehicles and 70 infrastructure sites.
Early findings show that battery-electric HGVs weighing up to 44 tonnes are operating successfully on commercial routes to every corner of the UK. Monitoring has recorded more than 85,000 trips, 2.2 million miles travelled (3.6 million kilometres) and over 550,000 tonnes of freight moved, creating an impressive real-world dataset on zero-emission freight vehicle performance.
The report also sets out the programme’s environmental benefits, including an estimated 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with equivalent diesel operations and cumulative CO₂ savings of more than 4,000 tonnes to date.
ZEHID has entered a five-year monitoring and evaluation phase that will run until 2031. It will produce detailed evidence on vehicle performance, infrastructure use, costs, emissions and operational impacts, helping to accelerate the shift to cleaner freight and support the UK’s decarbonisation goals.
Claire Spooner, Director of the Innovation Service, Innovate UK said, “Zero-emission HGVs are already demonstrating their potential in real-world freight operations across the UK. This first annual report marks an important milestone for the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, providing valuable insight into what is working, where challenges remain and what will be needed to support the wider transition to zero-emission freight.”
Sofia Amaral, Business Director for Sustainable Transport, WSP said, “Through our role as independent evaluator, WSP is helping to generate robust, real-world evidence on the performance of zero-emission HGVs and supporting infrastructure at unprecedented scale. These insights will help industry, investors and policymakers make informed decisions about the future of freight decarbonisation.”
Read the full report on the Innovate UK Business Connect website.
