[{"q": "How much does an electric truck cost per kilometre in the UK?", "a": "In the standard profile (120,000 km/year, 5 years, depot charging, £81k grant) the TCO of a 44-tonne electric truck is around £0.68/km or £1.10/mile, versus £0.74/km or £1.19/mile for diesel – including purchase, energy, maintenance, insurance, levy and residual value. Energy alone costs about £30/100 km electric compared with £44/100 km for diesel."}, {"q": "Is an electric truck worth it in the UK in 2026?", "a": "For plannable routes up to 450 km with your own depot charger: yes. With the Zero Emission Truck Grant (up to £81k) and 70 % on the depot charger the e-truck is cheaper from year one under the Hub's assumptions; without the grants the e-truck stays more expensive for around nine years. The drivers are the diesel price (190.7p/l), the grant and the e-truck's residual value, which remains the biggest uncertainty."}, {"q": "How far can an electric truck go?", "a": "According to manufacturers, 2026 series models manage 450–700 km (280–430 miles) at 40–44 tonnes: Mercedes eActros 600 up to 500 km (621 kWh), MAN eTGX up to 660 km (552 kWh), Volvo FH Aero Electric up to 700 km (780 kWh), Scania 45 R BEV 400–530 km. Winter, load and terrain cost 15–30 % in real-world use – the vehicle cards show both figures."}, {"q": "How much does the Mercedes eActros 600 cost in the UK?", "a": "Mercedes-Benz publishes no list price; based on market observation, offers are around £240–275k ex VAT depending on specification (estimate), before the £81k grant. For comparison: an Actros L diesel is £95–115k. The difference is recovered through the grant, energy, maintenance and the levy exemption."}, {"q": "Do electric trucks pay tolls or the HGV levy in the UK?", "a": "There are no distance-based HGV tolls in the UK, so there is no toll saving as in Germany. Zero-emission HGVs are exempt from the HGV levy (£576/year for a Euro VI 44-tonner) and pay £0 VED – around £577 a year saved per vehicle."}, {"q": "What grants are there for electric trucks in the UK in 2026?", "a": "The Zero Emission Truck Grant (from 1 April 2026): up to £81,000 over 26 t, £52,000 for 18–26 t, £37,000 for 12–18 t, £15,000 for 4.25–12 t, max. 40 % of the price, 100 vehicles per customer. The Depot Charging Scheme pays 70 % of charger hardware and installation, up to £1m per organisation (window 2: 28 October 2026 – 29 January 2027). Plus full expensing (100 % write-off in year one) and the levy exemption."}, {"q": "How much does electricity for electric trucks cost per kWh in the UK?", "a": "Overnight wholesale is around 6–8p/kWh in 2026; at the depot, network charges and levies come on top: realistically 22–26p/kWh ex VAT on a business tariff, 12–18p with a time-of-use tariff and load management. Public HGV charging costs about 40p/kWh ex VAT (Milence £0.399)."}, {"q": "How is the residual value of electric trucks developing?", "a": "The used market for heavy e-trucks is young; reliable residual-value curves don't exist yet. The Hub conservatively assumes 22 % after 5 years versus 30 % for diesel. In the standard profile, 5 percentage points of residual value shift the break-even by only a few months; when the case is tight (low mileage, high public-charging share) by a year or more – residual value remains the single most important lever."}, {"q": "Is a hydrogen truck worth it in the UK?", "a": "Not in 2026/27 without your own supply: public hydrogen for HGVs is limited to a handful of stations, and the Project HyHAUL demonstrator (ZEHID) runs on the M4 corridor only. Vehicles (Mercedes NextGenH2, MAN hTGX, Hyundai Xcient) are small-series and usually leased. Watch it, don't plan around it."}, {"q": "What does an e-trailer deliver?", "a": "Behind a diesel tractor unit, an e-trailer with its own e-axle and a 300–600 kWh battery cuts consumption by 40 % on average (field trials: DB Schenker 24–55 %, BMW Logistics 48 %). Behind an e-truck it adds up to 500 km of range. It charges overnight at the depot and works with any make of tractor – the interim step for existing fleets that don't want to replace the tractor unit yet."}, {"q": "How long does London–Glasgow take in an e-truck?", "a": "Around 660 km (410 miles). An eActros 600 or MAN eTGX needs one charging stop of 45–60 minutes at a 350–400 kW CCS charger (e.g. Electric Freightway sites on the M6), which largely falls within the mandatory 45-minute break – 15–30 minutes of extra time compared with diesel. With MCS that would be a break-length stop; public MCS is not yet available on the corridor."}, {"q": "When should I sell my diesel truck?", "a": "As long as diesel accounts for over 98 % of UK HGV registrations and the public charging network is patchy, residual values of good Euro VI vehicles are holding up. If you want to go electric in 2027/28, you're better off selling the diesel before the second generation of e-trucks and the grant ramp up – a vetted dealer network like truckoo lets you check the market price across Europe."}]
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