Quick Summary
- Freight electrification is already happening, with operators like Maritime Transport and Royal Mail deploying electric vehicles at scale and learning from real-world operations.
- The fleets that start early will be better placed to secure grid capacity, understand their infrastructure needs and build scalable operations.
- Data should lead the transition, helping operators identify suitable routes, site power requirements, charging schedules and future capacity needs.
- Collaboration across fleets, warehouses, landlords, grid operators, government and technology partners will be essential to make electrification practical and cost-effective.
- Electrification is about more than net zero – it is an opportunity to align logistics with government priorities around jobs, innovation, regional growth, energy resilience and modern industrial strategy.
The transition has already started
Freight electrification is no longer a future debate. It is already happening – and logistics businesses that start early will be in a much stronger position than those that wait.
That was my biggest takeaway from Multimodal at the NEC, where I attended a panel discussion on one of the industry’s most important questions: is electrifying freight the right solution?
Maritime Transport was a strong example – Tom Williams, Deputy CEO, spoke about the company’s pragmatic approach to decarbonisation. Maritime has already rolled out 56 electric HGVs and charging infrastructure that could support 300 to 400 electric HGVs in future.
The lesson was that a fleet that only plans for its first few electric vehicles may have to redesign its sites later. A fleet that thinks ahead can build the foundations for scale from the beginning – as Maritime have done.
Starting early can build an advantage
The panel acknowledged real challenges: electrification is expensive, infrastructure is complex, grid access remains a major barrier for many, and government policy could be more supportive, particularly with power prices.
But the conclusion was clear. Waiting for perfect conditions is becoming a risk in itself. The companies that act now will gain the advantage of data, experience, infrastructure and grid capacity. Those that delay may find themselves trying to catch up in a more constrained market.
Grid capacity is quickly becoming a strategic asset. As logistics businesses, warehouses, industrial estates, data centres and charging hubs compete for connections, the operators that have already done the planning will be at an advantage.
Royal Mail, with almost 9,000 electric vans, and Maritime have learnt how to manage charging within power constraints, maximise operational efficiency and minimise power costs. These insights can lead to improved operational efficiency compared to others yet to start their EV journey.
The smartest operators will let the data lead
Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV, returned to one message throughout the discussion: start early and use data to understand to make informed investment decisions.
Operators need robust data analysis to know which routes are suitable for electric vehicles today, where vehicles dwell, how much energy is needed per shift, what power is already available on site, and what capacity will be needed in three, five or seven years.
As Mike put it, “the data will set you free.”
That matters because electrification should not be driven by guesswork, assumptions or fear of missing out. It should be based on real route data, real energy demand and a clear view of how the fleet actually operates.
With the right data, operators can identify which routes can be electrified now, which sites need upgrades, and how charging can be scheduled around the business rather than disrupting it.
Waiting for perfect technology could mean missing the opportunity
One of the most common reasons for delay is the belief that the technology needs to improve first. Some businesses are waiting for longer-range trucks, cheaper batteries or more mature charging infrastructure before they act.
In some cases, that caution is understandable. But in many cases, it risks becoming a delay tactic.
Not every freight route needs the maximum possible range. Many journeys are predictable, repeatable and suitable for electrification today. The practical approach is to start with the parts of the operation that already make sense, learn from them, and then scale as technology improves.
Royal Mail’s experience made this clear too. Laura Stray, EV Deployment Manager at Royal Mail, spoke about the scale of its electric fleet, including thousands of electric vans already in operation.
Vehicles can also be deployed flexibly over time. As batteries degrade, they can be moved onto shorter routes. As newer vehicles enter the fleet, the operation can evolve. Electrification is not a single leap; it is a staged transition.
The industry needs to make the case for modern logistics – not just net zero
Freight electrification is often discussed through the lens of net zero and compliance.
But Edwin Morgan, Policy and Public Affairs Director at the UK Warehousing Association, added an important policy perspective: the industry needs to present freight electrification to government as more than a decarbonisation challenge.
The sector needs to connect freight electrification to the political priorities that already matter: reindustrialisation, regional growth, energy resilience, good jobs and career progression.
Electrified depots, smarter warehouses, charging infrastructure, solar, battery storage and energy management are not abstract net zero projects. They are what modern industry looks like. They create demand for engineers, electricians, planners, software specialists, technicians, fleet managers and energy professionals.
This matters especially in the Midlands, the North and other regional logistics hubs where freight and warehousing already support local economies. If government is serious about growth and reindustrialisation, then supporting freight electrification should be part of that agenda.
The industry has a storytelling job to do. It needs to show that electrification is not just a burden being placed on logistics. It is an opportunity to modernise one of the UK’s most essential sectors.
Collaboration will make or break the transition
No single business can solve freight electrification alone.
Fleet operators, warehouse owners, landlords, DNOs, iDNOs, NESO, government, energy partners and technology providers all have a role to play. The transition will be slower, more expensive and less efficient if every business tries to solve the same problems in isolation.
If each operator applies separately for oversized grid connections and builds its own closed charging infrastructure, the industry risks creating unnecessary cost and complexity. But if businesses can share infrastructure, share costs and automate billing, electrification becomes much more practical.
That is where software and data become just as important as the physical chargers.
Truck operators should not need multiple RFID cards, manual processes or fragmented systems just to charge. They need to be able to arrive, plug in, charge, be billed correctly and get back on the road. Behind the scenes, the system should manage access, payments, energy usage and reporting.
This practical detail will determine whether freight electrification works at scale.
The future will not be won by waiting
The clearest message from Multimodal was that the transition is already underway.
Some businesses are still asking whether freight electrification is the right solution. Others are already learning how to make it work.
The companies that move first will not have all the answers. But they will have the advantage of experience. They will understand their data, their routes, their sites and their infrastructure needs. They will know what works before they have to scale.
Freight electrification will not happen all at once. It will happen route by route, depot by depot and site by site. And the smart fleets will start now, learn early and build the foundations for the electric freight operations of the future.
Ready to start or scale your fleet electrification journey?
VEV helps logistics businesses use data to understand where electrification works today, what infrastructure is needed, and how to build a scalable plan for the future.
Get in touch with VEV to explore how your fleet, sites and energy strategy can work together to support the transition to electric freight – ask@vev.com
8 July, 2026
