The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) published a white paper which explores the ways to decarbonise the UK's long-haul road freight through an Electric Road System (ERS).
The plan proposed by the researchers would involve the installation of an electric network along all major motorways, which would enable electric HGVs to connect to the grid network on a motorway while charging the internal battery, which would allow travelling beyond the motorway electric grid to the destination.
The idea proposed by the SRF involves the installation of catenary cables along 4,399 miles of UK motorways, powered by the national grid, which would operate the inside lanes through an extendable rig known as pantograph - similar to those seen on top of electric trains or trams. The research group claims that the cost of the proposed investment would be £19.3 bn and would put all but the most remote areas of the UK within reach of the electric lorries by late 2030s. SRF also argues that the investment would pay for itself within 15 years of use.
According to the government figures, the road freight sector accounts for 5% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, also exhaust gases from diesel lorries are responsible for air pollution that is harmful to human health and the environment. The paper also argues that to be able to reach the 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, it is essential to introduce cost-effective solutions to electrify the UK road transport.
The researchers proposed an £80 million pilot project, which would see the installation of a 40 km lane in South Yorkshire to be completed by 2025 and mark the beginning of the three-phase rollout of the infrastructure throughout the UK.
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