DAF Trucks says the UK should consider allowing 48-tonne, 6-axle combinations for battery-electric HGVs to help offset payload loss and make the technology viable for a wider range of operators.

Speaking to Commercial Motor, DAF Trucks UK marketing manager Phil Moon said payload penalties remain one of the biggest barriers to electric truck uptake, particularly in sectors where vehicles already run close to 44 tonnes. Allowing a temporary uplift to 48 tonnes would give operators the flexibility they expect when investing in new technology, he said, and could shorten payback by restoring payload that would otherwise be lost to battery mass.

Moon added that most fleets would not operate at 48 tonnes routinely, but need the capability. Many buyers already choose 3-axle tractors for the same reason, the option of running at maximum weight when required, not because they do so every day.

DAF is also calling for the permitted drive-axle weight on 6-axle combinations to rise from 10.5 tonnes to 11.5 tonnes for electric tractors. Electric units are typically heavier over the drive axle, and Moon said allowing the higher limit, which already applies to 5-axle combinations, would remove a practical constraint for operators considering EVs.

The government is expected to consult early next year on the future shape of heavy vehicle CO₂ rules, including whether to align more closely with updated EU requirements or pursue a different approach. Moon said the consultation presents an opportunity to address weight and axle regulations alongside wider decarbonisation policy.

Further information:

https://www.commercialmotor.com/news/article/daf-urges-48-tonnes-to-boost-electric-truck-viability