John G Russell (Transport) Ltd (Russell) is to begin trialing hydrogen fuel cell (HFCEV) and battery-electric HGVs as part of ZENFreight, a subsidiary of the UK government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.
Russell will trial three MAN battery-electric HGVs and three hydrogen-electric Scania HFCEVs in a six-by-two configuration – the first to be trialed in this configuration in the UK.
Russell will also be part of the consortium’s nationwide network of depot-based electric charging infrastructure – announced on March 6 – and will install a hydrogen storage and filling system at its depot in Coatbridge, near Glasgow in Scotland. By sharing the complex depot charging infrastructure required for both alternative fuel types during the demonstration, ZENFreight consortium members hope to accelerate adoption and use in their fleets and across the country.
Graham Russell, director of John G Russell (Transport) Ltd, commented, “Our group is committed to sustainable logistics, using innovation and cutting-edge technology to reduce our environmental impact. As a key player in our customers’ supply chains, we take this responsibility seriously.
“The ZEHID demonstration project is a major step forward, allowing us to trial both electric and hydrogen technologies for heavy-duty transport in real-world operation, an exciting opportunity to build confidence in the future of zero emission freight. We are delighted to be at the forefront and play our part in driving the transition to cleaner, greener logistics.”
All vehicles in the ZENFreight project are set to be on the road by March 2026, with most sites going live during 2025. They will operate for five years as part of the ZEHID demonstration phase, with performance benchmarked against diesel equivalents. Throughout this period, the project will collect data and insights to strengthen the business case for scaling up zero-emission vehicle deployment.