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CommentaryRail as a silver bullet? Not so fast
For this week’s commentary, FCZ’s Andy Salter contemplates whether it’s time to revisit the case for rail freight in the race to decarbonise road transport, particularly given the new government’s penchant for rail at the moment. “We need to see freight as a system, rather than a series of ...
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CommentaryThe hydrogen debate in transport: a reality check
In this week’s commentary, Jamie Sands of Welch’s Transport takes a hard look at hydrogen’s place in the decarbonisation of road transport. Once touted as a rival to battery-electric solutions, hydrogen’s role is now under scrutiny. Sands examines its challenges and limited potential in niche applications.
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CommentaryNow is the time to engage with your local energy networks
At this year’s Motor Transport Decarbonisation Summit, one message came through loud and clear: energy networks are often a major hurdle for logistics companies looking to decarbonise. Energy journalist and commentator Janet Wood, explains why now is a pivotal time to engage with your energy network operator. Speaking as part ...
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CommentaryWhy HVO is the interim decarbonisation solution that the freight industry needs
For this week’s commentary, Ollie Bradshaw, Sustainability Manager at Certas Energy, explores why Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) will play an essential role in the transition to net zero emissions in the freight industry. While HVO consumption in the UK has more than doubled in the last two years, this fuel ...
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CommentaryDriving down freight emissions Down Under
This week, Brisbane-based consultancy MOV3MENT shares insights on Australia’s push to decarbonise road freight. Director Mark Gjerek explores the progress, challenges, and innovations driving the sector toward zero emissions. In the competitive spirit of our Ashes cricket rivalry, we couldn’t resist working out whether the UK or Australia is ‘winning’ ...
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CommentaryThink Tank focuses on charging challenges
In preparation for next week’s Motor Transport Decarbonisation Summit, we have published the findings from the Freight Carbon Zero Think Tank we organised with Volvo Trucks earlier this year. The event brought together a number of fleet operators, charge point operators and energy industry specialists for a workshop focused on ...
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CommentaryIt’s all about the infrastructure stupid…
Dr Andreas Gorbach, a member of the board at Daimler Trucks, recently took to LinkedIn to highlight some areas of agreement amongst the European truck manufacturers. Regular readers will recall that this time last year, we leaned on another insightful post from Andreas when he was commenting about renewable ...
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CommentaryThe power play: Relode’s vision for electrifying the UK's transport network
We were pretty impressed when we interviewed new energy infrastructure firm Relode recently; its ambitious plans to build a nationwide network of gigawatt-scale Power Parks sound like they are going to massively benefit the road transport sector. Laura Hailstone reflects on the detail. Relode’s plans to develop Power Parks across ...
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CommentaryShooting the breeze with Windrose Founder Wen Han
Last week, after commenting on one of Wen Han’s posts in LinkedIn, we unexpectedly found ourselves in a direct exchange with him and he suggested we jump on a call that very afternoon. With only a couple of hours to prep, we seized the chance for an interview, eager to ...
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CommentaryGrid-interactive depots: using e-trucks to unlock smart energy potential
For this week’s commentary, Thomas Kiessling, CTO at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, explores how grid-interactive depots can transform the freight industry’s path to Decarbonisation. The transportation sector contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, with trucks accounting for about 30% of the sector’s total. As we strive to reduce these emissions, ...
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CommentaryFrom NIMBY, to YIMBY: Labour's strategy to speed up infrastructure projects
Fresh from the Labour Party conference last week, Janet Wood, Editor of New Power Report, gives us her thoughts on how the government is aiming to shift the UK from being a ‘blocker’ to an ‘enabler’ when it comes to planning and development. Labour has promised a government for growth, ...
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CommentaryThree minutes with Tesla’s Semi: A fleeting first look
Fresh from the IAA Transportation show, editor of Commercial Motor (CM) magazine and UK jury member for International Truck of the Year Will Shiers gives us his initial thoughts on the enigmatic Tesla Semi. In 2017 Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Semi to the world. With its streamlined cab, and ...
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CommentaryBehind the scenes of HGV charging hub design
Special thanks to Jamie Sands at Welch’s Transport for writing us another great commentary piece; this week he has let us in on the detailed thought process behind the implementation of 12 HGV chargers across Welch’s two main depots currently in progress. As the transport industry races toward decarbonisation, the ...
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CommentaryAction stations: ESOS 3 presents fleet sustainability opportunity
The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) has moved into its action plan phase, presenting both challenges and opportunities for fleet operators. As Stephen Fitter from Focus Net Zero explains, this mandatory assessment is revealing surprising insights about fleet sustainability efforts and the potential for significant energy and cost savings… The ...
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CommentaryHave a conversation with your DNO: Your fleet’s future depends on it
This week we hand the keyboard over to our old friend Jamie Sands from Welch’s Transport to offer some practical insight and advice on getting started on the journey to road freight electrification. In the race to decarbonise road freight transport, fleet operators face an array of challenges. But there’s ...
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CommentarySlot or not? The scheduling hurdle facing EVs
As electric HGVs gear up for widespread use, Leo Pickford, Founder and CEO of TransitionWise, explores the critical challenge that remains: ensuring reliable charging slot availability and how the logistics of coordinating truck arrivals with charging times, could make or break the economics of electric trucking. This year has been ...
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CommentaryUp a gear: how the electricity industry is speeding up transit
For this week’s newsletter commentary, Janet Wood, Editor of New Power Report, discusses how a trio of process changes in the electricity sector should see an increase in the rate at which new infrastructure can be rolled out. The new Labour government describes itself as ‘mission led’, and one of ...
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CommentaryTime to talk about taxes
Following last week’s commentary focused on the levers open to the legislators to assist in the transition to low and Zero carbon vehicles, it’s time to turn the attention to taxation. While in the UK talk of tax has been taboo for the past eight weeks of the election campaign ...
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CommentaryIndia’s billion dollar hydrogen play
In our latest postcard from India, Ramesh Kumar gives an update on the prospects for hydrogen as the zero-emission fuel of choice for the Indian commercial vehicle sector.
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CommentaryThe beginning of the beginning…
Special thanks to Fedor Unterlohner, Freight Manager at Transport & Environment for permission to use his opinion piece in this week’s newsletter commentary. Imagine if the US Congress and President Truman had passed the Marshall Plan in 1948 but failed to appropriate the necessary billions in subsequent yearly budgets to ...