Volvo sells 10,000 gas-powered trucks
Volvo Trucks has surpassed 10,000 gas-powered trucks delivered worldwide since 2018, with 2025 marking the best annual performance ever for this vehicle segment. Sales growth has been driven by the adoption of alternative fuels across several markets and favourable conditions in terms of fuel availability and cost. The United Kingdom is the manufacturer’s leading market, followed by Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and France, while India and Latin America are emerging growth areas with rising volumes. Gas engines are available on the heavy-duty Fm, Fh and Fh Aero models and can run on both conventional LNG and bio-LNG derived from organic waste. Range reaches up to 1,000 kilometres on a single fill, making these vehicles suitable for long-haul operations, regional distribution and construction sector applications. In several northern European countries, including Germany, Norway, Finland and Sweden, refuelling stations offer bio-LNG, enabling CO2 reductions of up to 100% on a well-to-wheel basis compared with diesel. The technology is based on the D13 powertrain and uses the Hpdi system supplied by Cespira, with a small amount of diesel for ignition, which can be replaced with Hvo to cut emissions by up to 100% compared with a diesel truck.
Amazon logistics goes zero emission in the UK
Amazon has begun construction of a new delivery station in Stockton-on-Tees, north-east England, aiming to achieve Zero Carbon certification from Living Future, the first facility outside the United States within the group to register for this standard. The £40 million investment, around €50 million, forms part of a £40 billion investment plan in the UK between 2025 and 2027. The 10,800-square-metre site will become operational in autumn 2026 and is expected to create around 100 jobs. The facility will be built in line with the new UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and will be eligible for certification in 2027 following one year of operational monitoring and independent verification. The plant will use high-recycled-content steel produced with renewable electricity, mass timber beams, lower-emission concrete and construction materials capable of storing carbon. Solutions adopted include cement-free flooring using steel slag and artificial intelligence-based emissions tracking systems, enabling monitoring of the carbon footprint of all building systems. An image recognition system will record in real time materials entering and leaving the construction site, with the aim of reducing waste. More than 1,400 square metres of solar panels will cover daytime energy demand, while heating and cooling will be fully electric. Water consumption will be reduced by around 20% compared with conventional designs. According to Amazon, overall construction-related emissions will be at least 20% lower than previous company standards, exceeding industry benchmarks. The site will serve North Yorkshire and part of County Durham, strengthening the group’s UK logistics network.
First electric truck through the Channel Tunnel
The first electric heavy-duty vehicle has crossed the English Channel aboard a LeShuttle freight convoy, following the definition of the safety procedures required for large electric vehicles. Electric trucks were already able to reach France by ferry, but access to the Tunnel required specific protocols, developed over the course of a year. The service will be rolled out commercially by the end of the year. In 2025, 1,163,124 heavy goods vehicles transited on LeShuttle and around 25% of trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union uses the Tunnel each year, underlining the potential impact on cross-border intermodal transport. Peter Roberts of LeShuttle has set a target of 50,000 electrified crossings within five years, despite electric vehicles still representing a limited share of the overall market. The newly launched corridor connects the East Midlands to northern Germany with a 12-tonne payload and a declared range of 300 miles, equivalent to 482 kilometres, per single charge. At the start of the year, the UK Government announced incentives of up to £120,000 for the purchase of electric heavy goods vehicles, a measure aimed at supporting the transition in freight transport.
Amazon drones for deliveries in Chicago
Amazon has entered the final testing and deployment phase of its Prime Air service in the Chicago metropolitan area, launching one of the most complex urban integration projects for unmanned aerial systems. Since 13 February 2026, the company has been deploying the new Mk30 drone, designed to operate in the variable weather conditions typical of the Great Lakes region and with a reduced acoustic profile. The model is more compact than the Mk27-2 and is equipped with a “sense and avoid” system enabling obstacle avoidance without human intervention. The goal is to achieve deliveries in under one hour and progressively within 30 minutes. Operations will begin from Sub Same Day centres located in suburban hubs such as Itasca and Hoffman Estates, with parcel transfer from shelf to drone within minutes. The expansion has been made possible by the Beyond Visual Line of Sight authorisation granted by the Federal Aviation Administration at the end of 2025, allowing flights beyond the operator’s visual range. In a 2025 safety report, the authority described Amazon’s anti-collision systems as “functionally equivalent” to the situational awareness of a human pilot. Operational corridors have been defined with daily active windows between 08.00 and 17.00, with missions lasting between 10 and 25 minutes and a maximum payload of 5 pounds, around 2.27 kilograms. The initiative aims to reduce traffic on arteries such as the Kennedy and Eisenhower Expressway, contributing to last-mile decarbonisation.
