The haulage industry has seen its fair share of “next big things” over the years—but the new pay-per-kilometre subscription model for electric HGVs from ZE Ports and Spirii could be one of the few with the potential to truly upend the status quo.
From Ownership to Access
Historically, upgrading a heavy-duty fleet to electric meant two daunting hurdles:
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Capital expenditure for trucks and chargers
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Operational complexity in running new technology at scale
This model removes both. ZE Ports funds the trucks, charging infrastructure, and renewable energy. Spirii handles installation and provides a real-time management platform, complete with performance monitoring, pricing tools, and energy optimisation. Operators pay a fixed fee for every kilometre driven—around €0.90/km (£0.78) for trucks—with no upfront investment.
Aligned Costs, Lower Risk
Because costs are tied directly to usage, fleets avoid the financial strain of asset ownership and unpredictable maintenance bills. In one example, a 35-truck fleet operating 11 hours daily could save €11.7 million over the contract term compared with diesel. That’s €336,000 per truck—money that can be reinvested into operations or expansion.
A Single Partner for the Whole Transition
The complexity of fleet electrification—planning, infrastructure, energy sourcing, maintenance—is often what derails projects. In this model, the client’s role is simplified to one thing: running the fleet. ZE Ports and Spirii do the rest, from planning and deployment to day-to-day operations.
Why It’s Disruptive
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Zero CAPEX entry – removes the biggest financial barrier to electrification
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Predictable OPEX – usage-linked costs make budgeting straightforward
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Turnkey delivery – all services integrated under one provider
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Scalable and flexible – fleets can expand or adapt without sunk costs
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ESG benefits built-in – 100% renewable energy, carbon credits, and battery recycling included
The Competitive Advantage
The real threat to traditional ownership models isn’t the truck technology—it’s the fact that your competitor may not need to buy one. Freed from capital constraints and with a plug-and-play electrification path, early adopters can scale quickly, secure green credentials, and potentially outprice slower movers.
Much like streaming disrupted music retail, this subscription approach could reshape how transport capacity is bought and sold. For UK operators watching the market, the question isn’t if this model arrives—it’s how soon.