Cleaning up the streets with next generation ultra low emission trucks

In the debate on the decarbonisation of transport, most of the attention has been devoted to the private car.

But the commercial vehicle sector contributes 33% of the greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. And with increasing attention on urban air quality, emissions of nitrogen oxides are coming under greater scrutiny.

It is for this reason that the government agency Innovate UK commissioned the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, TRL and Millbrook to oversee a test programme to assess a range of new technologies in comparison with the latest Euro VI diesels.

The Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial, or LEFT, is undertaking tests of a range of technologies to compare and evaluate their effectiveness relative to diesel. £20m from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles is being shared between 12 consortia over 20 projects, which are  assessing gas and dual-fuel vehicles, and electric and hybrid trucks of different sizes and configurations, as well as techniques to reduce unladen weight and reduce aerodynamic drag.