Magtec has begun a government-backed trial with Royal Mail to test new 19-tonne electric HGVs, as part of efforts to decarbonise one of the UK’s largest delivery fleets. The Rotherham-based manufacturer is supplying the fully electric trucks, developed and built in the UK, for operations at Royal Mail’s Greenford Mail Centre in North West London.
The project, supported by an £800,000 Innovate UK grant, will assess the vehicles’ performance under real-world conditions compared with Royal Mail’s existing fleet. With a range of up to 125 miles and a top speed of 56mph, the trucks are designed to handle typical urban routes while maintaining payload capacity for heavy-duty logistics. The flexibility of battery configurations allows operators to tailor the range to meet route requirements.
Magtec’s Gen2 electric driveline system builds on its proven track record, with over 2.5 million miles logged on UK roads. The company has previously delivered successful innovations under the APC and SBRI programmes and is positioning its technology as a scalable solution for fleet operators targeting net-zero emissions.
Royal Mail, which already operates over 7,000 electric vans powered by 100% renewable electricity, is on track to meet its 2040 net-zero target. The company reports the lowest carbon emissions per parcel among UK couriers and aims to halve its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. This trial provides an opportunity to extend decarbonisation into heavier segments of its fleet.
