Parcel delivery company DPD has confirmed it is conducting electric HGV road trials with truck manufacturer MAN, with the aim of introducing heavy-duty electric trucks later this year.
DPD announced it is running road trials with the MAN eTGX which has a range of up to 800 kms and a charging capacity of up to 750 kW.
The truck will be based at DPD's Hinckley hub 4 where it will undergo a full induction and driver training.
It will then be assigned a DPD route for operational testing and will tow a standard trailer. 
In 2023, DPD converted the majority of its 1,600 HGVs to HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil). According to the parcel delivery company, 95% of its HGV fleet is now running on HVO, reducing emissions by 83% compared to diesel.
Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability at DPD group UK said: “HVO is likely to remain the most effective solution in the medium term, delivering a huge emissions reduction.
“It remains key to our strategy for reaching our near-term target in 2030, but we are keen to work with manufacturers to help develop the electric trucks that can work for us in the real world."
The transition hasn’t come without its challenges, claimed DPD, who have operated double-decker trailers for many years, its traditional trucks have specific logistical and operational advantages that can be challenging when matched up to electric vehicles.
Therefore, DPD’s partnership with MAN is to work together to develop a configuration capable of pulling double-decker trailers.
DPD confirmed the first vehicle with that spec will be on test with the parcel delivery company later this year.
Tim Jones added: “Electric HGVs have the potential to become a viable solution in the future, and we now believe we can get the configuration we need to maintain our double-decker trailer fleet, which has enabled us to reduce the overall number of HGVs we put on the road for many years.”
As part of Geopost, DPD UK has a Net Zero target of 2040, which is fully validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
DPD UK additionally confirmed that the UK operation is on track with the trajectory required to meet the group target, after delivering a 47.5% reduction in overall emissions at the end of 2024, compared to the 2020 benchmark.
Stefan Thyssen, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd said: “These trials with our all-electric eTGX tractor not only demonstrate the real-world viability of electric trucks in a high-demand logistics environment but also highlight the significant emissions reductions and sustainability benefits they bring to the industry."