Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help increase funding for electric HGV research and development.

In May 2022, the Department announced an expansion to its Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator (ZERFD) programme, which will see hundreds of zero emission HGVs deployed on UK roads. This programme will demonstrate several zero emission HGV technologies at scale on UK roads, and inform which technology, or technology mix, is best suited for use in the UK. This follows £20m of funding provided in 2021/22 as part of the Zero Emission Road Freight Trials (ZERFT) programme for industry to conduct feasibility studies into zero emission HGVs and associated infrastructure, along with the deployment of 20 battery electric trucks.

The demonstrator programme will collect a strong evidence base to enable long-term, strategic infrastructure decisions to be made to decarbonise the road freight sector, both by the Government and industry.