By George Hobbs, Data Lead
AV Dawson are a 3rd generation family-owned business who own and operate the port of Middlesborough. As well as the port operations, they have a separate subsidiary called AV Dawson Transport which has a fleet of around 37 40 tonne HGVs.
In logistics, operational margins are tight, customer expectations are rising, and the pressure to decarbonise is intensifying.
Jonathon Booth, AV Dawson’s Head of Sustainability and Quality said In our recent CILT webinar ‘It feels like electrification is where the industry is going, and certainly it was something that we were interested in exploring.’ Jon explained that there was a lot of scepticism within, especially for a company that’s been going for 87 years. Internal conversations included the issue of range, payload, and the cost element, which is a significant factor. ‘Before we started discussions with VEV, we had in our head that it would be too expensive, and we were probably not going to be able to progress with electric vehicles.’
Therefore, it was certainly clear that AV Dawson were open to the idea, but they didn’t have the confidence in the viability of operating with a fleet of EVs.
We set out to prove that fleet electrification, when powered by data and insight, can transform not just emissions performance, but the efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness of an entire operation, theorising initially that 70% of AV Dawson’s routes could be completed with EVs.
You can watch the full recording of the webinar on the VEV YouTube channel here.
Understanding the Challenge
AV Dawson operates a diverse fleet – from heavy goods vehicles to on-site plant and port machinery – serving complex customer and logistics demands. Like many operators, they face the dual challenge of decarbonising their operations while maintaining reliability, cost control, and service quality.
The commercial case needs to be as strong as the environmental one, and AV Dawson wanted to understand how electrification could improve performance, not just compliance.
That insight-first approach led AV Dawson to partner with us for a managed trial – from data analysis and fleet modelling to infrastructure design, energy optimisation, and funding strategy.
Building the Case for Change
VEV began by diving deep into AV Dawson’s fleet data. This diagnostic phase mapped out vehicle types, routes, dwell times, and energy profiles to assess which assets were most viable for electrification today – and where future potential could be unlocked.
Every electrification strategy should start with visibility. When you understand how your fleet is really being used, you can pinpoint where EVs can deliver the most impact, and how to integrate them without disruption.
The team modelled total cost of ownership (TCO) scenarios across a sample size of vehicles and identified theoretical TCO savings of 10.9% across 6 trucks, which was a key hypothesis to prove within the trial.
This first wave provided the foundation for a scalable roadmap – showing how savings and efficiencies could grow as electrification expanded across the fleet.
Turning Insight into Action
Data analysis alone doesn’t drive transformation – action does. We translated the insights into a practical implementation strategy, addressing the three core risks every operator faces: operational, financial, and strategic.
- Operational risk: Through detailed modelling, we demonstrated how electric vehicles could meet AV Dawson’s duty requirements including load, range, and turnaround times. Smart charging schedules were designed to optimise vehicle availability and minimise downtime.
- Financial risk: By quantifying total cost of ownership, factoring in maintenance savings and energy costs, we provided a clear financial pathway that proved electrification could improve cost control over time.
- Strategic risk: The analysis informed long-term investment decisions, ensuring that today’s infrastructure would scale with future fleet growth and grid demand.
For AV Dawson, the results provided not just clarity, but confidence that electrification is the future, and that EVs do work,
‘There’s no better time to start than now’
Jon continues in our webinar, ‘even if ultimately you don’t feel you’re ready, through the likes of George and his team, they look at the data and say “well actually we think you can do it based on the numbers.”’
Optimisation in Motion
The trial proved that electric fleets can deliver both lower emissions and improved efficiency – supporting the company’s broader sustainability and digitalisation goals.
Every electric vehicle added to a fleet increases the intelligence of that operation. As EV adoption scales, data quality improves, enabling smarter route planning, and energy management. Electrification and optimisation go hand in hand.
This “flywheel effect” – where digitalisation makes EV fleets smarter, and EV fleets make digitalisation more powerful – is at the heart of VEV’s vision for the future of logistics.
Proving the Power of Smart Electrification
The AV Dawson and VEV partnership proves that electrification is no longer just an environmental decision – it’s a strategic one. By combining data, insight, and action, we show how businesses can reduce emissions, cut costs, and future-proof operations. For forward-thinking fleet operators, the road to net zero is also the road to better business.
If you would like to find out more about the VEV-managed trial with AV Dawson, then download the full report:
AV Dawson Managed Trial Full Report
Or contact us at Ask@VEV.com
November 2025
