Sales of electric lorries have quadrupled in the third quarter of 2025 to record levels, according to the latest figures from car industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The overall HGV market was actually down nearly 15% in the same period, with sales of all truck types in decline except bin lorries, which saw a near-10% rise in registrations.
Zero emission truck sales rose, however, nabbing a whopping 2.4% market share thanks to 225 sales in the three months to the end of September. The number of electric lorries sold in Q3 of 2025 is more impressive than it looks, when you consider that total sales for the year so far of zero emission HGVs is 408, a number that’s still up more than 145% on the same period in 2024.
The SMMT says that more than two dozen e-trucks are now available on the market, but has noted that charging infrastructure is a concern for fleet operators, with waiting times for new grid connections running up to 15 years – not ideal if you’re in the business of next day delivery.
SMMT boss Mike Hawes thinks that bigger growth won’t come until those upgraded electricity connections are prioritised for fleet operators: “More substantial volume growth depends on infrastructure rollout. Fast-tracking depot grid connections, in particular, is critical to help operators plan and invest – and for manufacturers to continue delivering the green growth Britain needs.”
The increased numbers of electric HGV registrations might have been helped by Geordie rock star Sam Fender using them to get his recent People Watching tour about the UK. We’re assured the name was in reference to his recent album and not how he amused himself while waiting for his Mercedes trucks to juice up on the go.
Nissan also revealed in the summer that it had spent £1.4m on a new charging station at its Sunderland factory to support the 25 electric HGVs that it runs as part of its fleet. The private site was the first of its kind in the UK, built in conjunction with charge provider Gridserve, and would have benefitted from the extensive grid connections to Nissan's manufacturing plant.
Nissan spent £1.4m on new HGV chargers this summer at its Sunderland plant 
