DP World expands low carbon truck programme with electric HGV trial at Southampton port

indiashippingnews.com

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

DP World is expanding its Low Carbon Truck Programme in the UK with a new electric HGV trial at Southampton port. The EVITA initiative lets hauliers rent electric trucks for 12 weeks at costs similar to diesel, with charging stations on site. Over 1,500 trucks are already registered across 60 UK hauliers. The trial runs from July 2026 to 2029 and includes trucks from Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and MAN. Hauliers like Williams Shipping and ATL Haulage are testing the vehicles on real routes. DP World aims to provide up to 100 trial slots over three years, helping the industry move toward lower carbon freight without upfront purchase costs.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see DP World pushing electric HGVs into real port operations. The 12 week rental model at diesel parity cost is a smart way to get hauliers to try without the big upfront buy in.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 360kWh charging stations at Southampton are a key piece. If they can show reliable charging for port drayage, that could scale to other UK ports. Still early though.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Do we know the grid capacity feeding those chargers? Twin 360kWh units pulling simultaneous full load could be a strain depending on local substation limits. Would be good to see the interconnection details.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Over 1,500 trucks registered across 60 hauliers is decent scale for a trial programme. The real test will be how many convert to buying electric trucks after the rental period ends.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The cost parity with diesel is key for adoption. Without subsidy or carbon pricing that closes the gap, many hauliers will return to diesel after the trial. Policy needs to support the total cost of ownership difference.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

ATL Haulage's comment about de risking the unknown is exactly the point. Real world route data on range and charging downtime will matter more than any spec sheet. The tracking systems should provide that.