Electric trucks light up Road Transport Expo
Visitors to this year’s Road Transport Expo (RTX) at NAEC Stoneleigh saw electric trucks moving into the mainstream, but a fair level of continuing diesel development too.
Arguably the most significant exhibit at RTX 2026 was a Chinese-built battery-electric Yutong TE7 7.5-tonner. It is taking part in a six-month evaluation with Royal Mail running out of Bradford on middle-mile operations, which the postal service operator says will help shape the future of its growing electric fleet and wider net zero ambitions.
The trial will allow it to assess range and payload, and build a clearer idea of charging and infrastructure requirements going forward. The evaluation is being run in partnership with Pelican Electric Trucks, Yutong’s distributor in the UK, which exhibited the TE7 at RTX.
David Watts, electric truck sales manager at Pelican Trucks, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Royal Mail with this upcoming trial of the TE7. As fleet operators continue to explore the transition to lower-emission vehicles, real-world operational experience is increasingly important.
“Smaller trucks, particularly those in the 7.5 tonne category, are ideally suited to electrification. They are also largely depot-based, have predictable route profiles that usually fall well within the electric range of the trucks, can be charged overnight using low power or lower cost AC chargers and are much less likely to require site energy capacity upgrades.”
Isuzu Truck UK launched not just one but three new truck ranges under the P700 banner, with the emphasis on improved driver comfort and safety including better instrumentation, steering-wheels, and seating, plus cab air-conditioning.
The new 3.5-tonne Grafter is slightly lighter than the current model, while the N-Series 7.5-tonner is 50 kg heavier, with the 11 – 13.5 tonne F-Series gaining 180 kg. There is a third engine option for the market-leading N-Series, with a 175 hp uprate for the three-litre engine joining the existing 150 hp three-litre and the 190 hp 5.2-litre unit. A new dual-clutch ISIM nine-speed ‘box maximises engine performance. The order book is open already with the first new trucks landing from Japan in October and November.
MAN’s eTGL made its first public appearance in right-hand drive form at RTX. The 12-tonne electric truck offers payload of up to 6.6 tonnes and a range of up to 310 km. Its launch means MAN now has electric trucks ranging from 12 to 44 tonnes.
Jan Kohlmeier, managing director, MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd, said: “Following the launch of our eTGX at RTX 2025, MAN Truck & Bus now offers customers a complete battery-electric vehicle (BEV) portfolio, ranging from the 12-tonne eTGL … through to the 16-tonne eTGM, now available to order, and a broad line-up of eTGX and eTGS models covering the full spectrum of zero-emission transport applications.
“This represents a strong signal and a clear message: MAN Truck & Bus is ready to support the transformation to zero-emission transport.”
Acknowledging that not all operations are currently electrifiable, MAN also launched the TGX 26.480 EfficientLine+ Midlift tractor, which is claimed to offer up to eight per cent fuel savings over the standard equivalent model by virtue of OptiView mirrorcams, an energy-saving air-compressor, an Aero front bumper, A-rated low rolling-resistance tyres and a speed limiter set to 85 km/h.
Rigid truck operators who value manoeuvrability over cross-country mobility will welcome the addition of an 8×2 rigid with an undriven lifting and steering rear axle to the MAN range. The TGS 8×2 is intended for specialist applications including machinery movement, bulk-blowing and crane operations, and has steel front suspension with air to the rear.
The jewel in the DAF trucks crown this year was the Emerald Edition XG+ tractor, which follows last year’s Sapphire Edition as the manufacturer prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2028 with a series of celebratory Gemstone Editions. Finished in Forest Dawn with piano black trim and fitted with Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, the 6×2 has a luxury cab interior and is one of 100 to be built.
Signalling the increasing movement of electric trucks into the tough world of third-party haulage was a DAF XD Electric FT 4×2 tractor. One of two supplied to long-established Burnley haulier Fagan & Whalley, it features a 350kW EX-D2 eMotor and 525kWh LFP battery pack.
Iveco has been a frontrunner in the world of fossil-fuel free trucks for the past two decades and its S-Way CNG ‘Force of Nature’ tractor unit demonstrated the fruits of this experience. Claiming CO2 reductions of up to 95 per cent when run on biogas, it is said to be the only gas truck capable of running at 44-tonnes with a standard-length trailer. Electrics are now making more of a presence in the Iveco line-up, and included the first UK customer S-eWay rigid, which was due for delivery to Pall-Ex at the show’s end. The 6×2 truck has an e-Axle, which allows a flexible configuration of up to seven batteries to be specified giving a range of up to 400 km.
Aside from the vehicle manufacturers, RTX played host to a raft of vehicle technology providers, among them safety specialist Brigade. The company was showcasing its new AI HFR Box, which can be installed on vehicles fitted with a wide range of standard analogue cameras. It expects the system to be welcomed by fleet operators who want to bring vehicles of varying ages up to modern safety standards.
The box upgrades existing cameras and monitors with Human Form Recognition (HFR) technology. This picks out humans, including cyclists and those on electric scooters, as they enter preset detection areas in the truck’s blind spots.
Each device can handle inputs from two Brigade cameras and gives audible and visual alerts, with the vulnerable person outlined by a green, amber, or red box, depending upon their proximity. It links with Brigade’s mobile digital recorders, but blurs recorded facial imagery to protect privacy.
The AI HFR Box is said to be a ‘plug and play’ installation, using existing wiring. Installers can configure blind spot detection zones to suit individual requirements or default factory settings can be utilised, and fitment takes around a quarter of the time that a full upgrade using AI cameras would at about half the price. The box weighs 1 kg and measures 28 x 104 x 154 mm.
Brigade was also promoting its telematics offering, which provides fleets with driver behaviour, vehicle tracking and operational data and can be fully integrated with the company’s safety systems.
RTX will return to NAEC Stoneleigh from 6-8 July 2027.
