Electric lorries are ready to take on diesel in the demanding world of wholesale deliveries, according to a new case study which found battery-powered trucks matched or beat their diesel counterparts on real-world multi-drop routes.
The study, published by the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) with Renault Trucks and specialist contract hire provider Vertellus, concluded that up to 95% of short and regional journeys across two operators’ fleets could be completed by electric HGVs today. It also found depot charging made the trucks cheaper to run than diesel, with one operator saving an estimated £6,630 a year.
The findings come from the Vertellus EV Discovery Programme, which lets wholesalers lease an 18-tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech D for 12 months at a cost comparable to a diesel equivalent.
Two firms took part in the SWA-backed trial. United Wholesale (Scotland) and Creed Foodservice ran the electric trucks on multi-drop food and drink rounds across multiple seasons, gathering real-world data as they went.
One of the most striking findings concerns range. The trial trucks used just 36% of their battery capacity on average, suggesting operators routinely underestimate what an electric HGV can do in a day and leaving plenty of headroom to work the vehicles harder.
Crosshead: Cheaper to run, cleaner to drive
The numbers stack up on cost, too. United Wholesale (Scotland) reported running costs around £10 to £20 lower per 100km than diesel, while Creed Foodservice put its annual saving at £6,630. Those figures are based on February 2026 prices, and the gap is likely to have widened given recent volatility in global energy markets.
Each electric truck also cut emissions by more than 50kg of CO2 per 100km, equivalent to 10 to 13 tonnes a year per vehicle. That matters for a sector in which, according to SWA research, HGV fuel accounts for 63.7% of Scope 1 emissions in Scotland.
It is not all plain sailing. The report flags charging infrastructure, particularly beyond Scotland’s central belt, along with route planning confidence, as areas needing further development, although dedicated electric truck charging hubs are now opening across the UK and major electric HGV demonstrator schemes are adding to the evidence base. Operators switching to electric can also draw on the government’s zero emission truck grants.
Ylva Haglund, head of sustainability and communications at the SWA, acknowledged that wholesalers, with tight schedules and thin margins, have been wary of going electric. “What this trial shows is that those concerns and the reality of electric HGVs are starting to diverge. That should give wholesalers confidence to begin their own transition,” she said.
Roger Clarke, head of electromobility and advanced customer solutions at Renault Trucks UK, said: “Urban and regional routes are a real sweet spot for electric trucks and a practical place to start.”
The operators agree. Chris Gallacher, managing director of United Wholesale (Scotland), said: “This trial has shown us that electric trucks can perform effectively within our day-to-day delivery operation while also reducing emissions and running costs. The positive response from our drivers and customers has been particularly encouraging and gives us confidence to keep moving forward.”
Steve Rich, operations director at Creed Foodservice, added: “The EV Discovery Programme has been invaluable in allowing us to explore the real-world capabilities of the eHGV without the significant investment that would be needed to purchase our own vehicle.”
