Electric HGVs join Saint-Gobain fleet as part of Government trial

10th April 2026

Saint-Gobain is deploying six Volvo fully electric HGVs to its fleet operating in the UK, in partnership with XPO Logistics. 

The pair have also partnered with Gridserve to create a back-to-base ‘supercharging’ hub at the Saint-Gobain Logistics Hub at Gotham, Nottinghamshire.

The six charge points will fuel the eHGVs to 80% in 90 minutes and fully charge them in under two hours.

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The electric HGVs (eHGVs) ordered from Volvo will include five tractor units and one rigid unit, which will begin operating on the UK’s roads between April and June 2026.

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.”

He added: “We’ll be working closely with customers during this period and our drivers to get their feedback and see how all-electric HGVs at scale can fit into our logistics service offer.

“We’re excited to see what’s possible as we push for cleaner, smarter deliveries that support our customers.”

Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics have been working closely on the electric HGV project for more than 18 months as part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme to bring ‘zero carbon’ deliveries to Saint-Gobain customers, with the first trial deliveries beginning in Q2 of this year.

The project will see a ‘real world’ test of ‘zero emission’ electric HGV trucks over a five-year period, working in true partnership and collaboration to make an anticipated 12,000-plus customer deliveries for Saint-Gobain and avoiding more than 3,500 tonnes of Co₂e in the process.

According to XPO Logistics proprietary intelligence technology, which calculates emissions savings, the six eHGVs will reduce CO₂e emissions by almost 800,000kg each year, equating to 3,350 tonnes over five years. This is equivalent to the emissions emitted by 2,353 UK households.

The Gotham hub will support customer deliveries from both British Gypsum East Leake and the Saint-Gobain Midlands DC during the five-year programme, aiming to achieve two delivery cycles per vehicle per day across the Midlands.

The ZEHID programme was officially launched in October 2023, when the UK Government announced £200 million in funding to support innovative ‘green’ projects to roll out zero-emission HGV trials.

Abdi Ali, national key account manager at Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, said: “As part of our long-term partnership with XPO Logistics, we are constantly looking at ways to modernise and improve the environmental impact of its fleet.

“The addition of the six new Volvo FM Electric trucks mark another step forward and demonstrate XPO Logistics’ confidence in the technology.

“It is hugely rewarding to see our zero-tailpipe emission solutions supporting forward-thinking companies like Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics – organisations with a clear vision of their sustainability strategies, who are acting now to drive towards a cleaner and greener future.”

Dan Myers, senior vice president for supply chain Europe at XPO Logistics, added: “This is the latest effort in our joint goal of doing business in a responsible way, working towards our shared target of reducing our emissions to zero with Saint-Gobain.”