Saint-Gobain, in partnership with XPO Logistics, has added six fully electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) to its UK fleet as part of efforts to reduce emissions in logistics operations.
The vehicles, supplied by Volvo Trucks, will operate across the Midlands and are expected to cut CO2e emissions by nearly 800,000kg per year, according to XPO Logistics’ emissions calculation technology. Over the five-year duration of the UK government’s Zero Emission HGV & Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) program, this equates to around 3,530 metric tons of CO2e.
The companies have also partnered with Gridserve to install charging infrastructure at the Saint-Gobain logistics hub in Gotham, Nottinghamshire. The site includes six charging points capable of charging vehicles to 80% in 90 minutes and fully charging them in under two hours.
Dean O’Sullivan, CEO of Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, said, “Trialling six zero-exhaust-emission HGVs across the Midlands is another step forward for us. The extended operational trials of the all-electric vehicles are part of our wider journey to reduce the impact of our business and ultimately meet our goal to be a net zero carbon business.
“We’ll be working closely with customers during this period, and with our drivers, to get their feedback and see how all-electric HGVs at scale can fit into our logistics service offer.”
The deployment follows more than 18 months of collaboration between Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics under the ZEHID program, which was launched in October 2023 with £200m (US$268m) in UK government funding to support zero-emission HGV trials.
The initiative will test electric HGVs in real-world conditions over five years, with plans for more than 12,000 deliveries and emissions savings of over 3,500 metric tons of CO2e. The Gotham hub will support deliveries from British Gypsum East Leake and the Saint-Gobain Midlands distribution center, with a target of two delivery cycles per vehicle per day.
The six vehicles – five tractor units and one rigid truck – are scheduled to enter service between April and June 2026.
Abdi Ali, national key account manager at Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, said, “The addition of the six new Volvo FM Electric trucks marks another step forward and demonstrates XPO Logistics’ confidence in the technology.”
Dan Myers, senior vice president, supply chain – Europe at XPO Logistics, added, “This is the latest effort in our joint goal of doing business in a responsible way, working toward our shared target of reducing our emissions to zero with Saint-Gobain.”
Outside the UK and Ireland, the two companies also collaborate across Europe and Africa, including in France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco, where they are working on logistics operations and emissions-reduction initiatives.
In related news, Boots partners with XPO Logistics on supply chain integration
