UK's Push for Electric Trucks: A Costly Green Shift?

The UK government has rolled out a new plan to make electric trucks more affordable. They're offering grants of up to £120, 000 for businesses to switch to electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). This is part of a bigger £318 million investment to support green freight and cut emissions. The grants are available for different sizes of trucks. Smaller ones can save up to £20, 000, while the largest can save up to £120, 000. This is similar to the grants given for electric cars, but on a much larger scale. The government wants to phase out petrol and diesel lorries by 2040. They believe this will help reduce emissions and create jobs. However, some people think this is a lot of money for a small number of trucks.There are around half a million HGVs in the UK. If the government subsidizes each one, it could cost around £50 billion. Plus, there are extra costs for charging infrastructure. This makes the total cost much higher. The grants are not enough to make a big difference. They can only fund about 150 lorries at the top rate. Some people wonder why taxpayers should pay for big companies like Amazon to switch to electric trucks. The government says this is part of their plan to boost growth and support jobs. But some people think it's a lot of money for a small number of trucks. They wonder if this is the best way to spend taxpayers' money.