Tarmac is calling for a change in policy around the vehicle gross weight limit for 4-axle rigid vehicles, like concrete mixers, to support the decarbonisation of transport in construction.
The electrification of fleet across site plant and delivery vehicles is seen as one of the key steps to reducing carbon emissions in the built environment.
Tarmac’s own evidence shows that electric concrete mixers can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 42 tonnes annually per vehicle, compared with diesel mixers.
However, with maximum weight limits in place per vehicle type and on each axle, payload capacity remains a significant hurdle – especially given the added weight of batteries in electric vehicles.
Now Ben Garner, Logistics Director at Tarmac, is calling for an urgent update in regulations to increase the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) limit for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in construction.
Garner says: “Electric vehicles reduce CO2 emissions, cut air pollutants and lower noise, all of which contribute to healthier cities and environmental gains. We launched our first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer back in 2022 in partnership with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet, and we continue to make progress on our long-term strategy to transition to a fully electric fleet.
“We’ve seen the immediate and measurable reductions in CO2, and we’ve repeatedly called for those across the industry to invest in electric vehicles and unlock collaborative carbon savings.
“However, gross vehicle weight is still a barrier to adoption across the industry, because it reduces the payload for vehicles fitted with a heavy lithium-ion battery.
“The legal maximum GVW for a 4-axle rigid vehicle in the UK is 32 tonnes (44-tonnes for articulated lorries), but the battery alone in an electric HGV can weigh anything between two and four tonnes.
“Under the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, this limit was increased by two tonnes for certain zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). However, 4-axle rigid trucks were not included.
“Battery energy density is improving – which means a longer range for lower battery weight – but for now electric mixers remain best suited for urban deliveries, where they can charge at depots or batching plants between runs, as part of an integrated low carbon logistics model. For longer routes, or sites without high-power charging, the payload compromise is still a significant challenge.
“If we want to encourage widespread adoption of decarbonised transport solutions in construction, we have to make allowances – either by increasing the limit, or allowing the introduction of 5-axle vehicles that are in common use across many European countries to support with weight distribution and encourage truck operators to make the switch to zero emission electric vehicles.”
