Commercial Vehicle Show 2025 hailed a triumph
More than 13,000 people attended the 25th Commercial Vehicle Show, which took place at the NEC Birmingham last week.
With more than 250 exhibitors, the CV Show showcased the latest technologies impacting the sector while shining a light on the ongoing skills challenge within the industry.
Meanwhile, a sharp focus was also turned on sustainability and the commercial vehicle sector’s role in supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions. Commercial vehicles are responsible for 36% of all road transport CO₂ emissions and 12% of the UK’s total, with 6.3% of new vans are currently electric, underscoring the challenge ahead.
However, product launches from Renault, Farizon, and ISUZU reflected the sector’s commitment to electrification, with purpose-built BEVs to electric refrigerated vans and smart fleet tools.
Ford UK also announced that one in four of its vans will be electric by next year.
Pace of transition
Opening the show, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “The pace of transition needs to accelerate. Grid connections are too slow. All depots must be connected. Four public HGV chargers nationwide is nowhere near enough. We need consistent planning policy, and action on energy costs, which are 60% higher than the European average. Operators cannot make a compelling case for investment until those costs come down.”
Chris Ashley, RHA senior policy lead, then launched a roadmap focused on five priorities: cost, infrastructure, vehicle performance, skills and mindset. He said that the shift will require up to £100bn of investment and a clear plan to ensure working vehicles stay operational while adopting zero-emission alternatives.
New initiatives
Meanwhile, speakers from Innovate UK highlighted progress through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, which supports more than 300 battery electric and hydrogen trucks and has already led to over 230 vehicle orders.
The Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT), deploying 20 DAF electric trucks across public sector fleets, was hailed as a UK-first success story.
Hydrogen was also acknowledged as a future option for long-haul or heavy-duty use, but the consensus remains that the majority of HGVs will be battery electric within the decade.
But despite the obvious challenges around depot electrification, upskilling engineers, cross-sector partnerships and policy reform,, the CV Show highlighted an industry commitment to net zero.
