Road freight transport is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, especially long-haul road freight logistics, while remaining competitive and resilient. The transition requires more than new vehicles. It depends on energy systems, charging and refuelling infrastructure, logistics operations, digital tools, regulatory frameworks, investment conditions and viable business models.
ALICE Thematic Group 1 (TG1) brings together logistics companies, vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers, service and technology companies, researchers, public authorities and other stakeholders working on low-emission and automated freight transport. Its work supports the ALICE vision of zero-emission logistics by connecting research, innovation, policy and deployment needs.
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TG1 addresses the transition of road freight towards zero-emission and automated transport. Its work focuses on the conditions needed to move from pilots and demonstrations towards wider deployment. This includes heavy-duty vehicle technologies, charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, renewable and low-emission energy sources, logistics use cases, fleet operation, digital and physical infrastructure, emissions measurement, and regulatory alignment.
This is important for European logistics because zero-emission freight deployment is highly interdependent. Vehicle availability, energy supply, grid capacity, route planning, charging access, operational reliability, data exchange, public policy and customer requirements all influence whether new solutions can be adopted at scale.
by supporting the deployment of zero-emission freight transport
by advancing connected, cooperative and automated logistics operations
by helping members understand interdependencies between energy, infrastructure, regulation, operations and market readiness.
The Thematic Group is closely linked to ALICE’s Roadmap Towards Zero Emissions Logistics 2050 with a focus on making fleets and assets more energy efficient and enabling the use of the lowest-emission energy source feasible.
TG1 supports the scale-up of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, with the focus on operational feasibility, large-scale demonstrations, long-haul use cases, vehicle performance, charging needs, renewable energy integration and business-case development.
TG1 supports the development and demonstration of connected, cooperative and automated freight transport. This includes autonomous heavy-duty vehicles, next-generation CCAM technologies, physical and digital infrastructure, sensors, logistics use cases and harmonised regulatory frameworks across EU Member States.
Reliable emissions measurement is essential for logistics decarbonisation. TG1 follows developments in the legislative framework and supports knowledge sharing on harmonised emission factor methodologies linked to CountEmissionsEU, Book & Claim approaches and the use of primary data.
Zero-emission road freight depends on infrastructure that is planned around real logistics operations. TG1 addresses recharging, hydrogen refuelling, green and renewable energy, grid readiness, infrastructure planning and the coordination needed between logistics, transport and energy stakeholders.
The transition to low-emission assets requires planning beyond vehicle procurement. TG1 supports the shift from small pilots to scalable deployment by looking at vehicle availability, vehicle performance, total cost of ownership, logistics integration, operational feasibility and business-case development for transport companies and buyers.
This Thematic Group provides a structured environment to identify deployment barriers, exchange operational knowledge, define research and innovation priorities, and develop guidance that can support future projects, policy input and market uptake.
Implementation takes place through ALICE projects, member activities, linked initiatives, events, communities and engagement with European research and innovation programmes. In this way, TG1 helps ensure that project results and technical developments are connected with real logistics needs and deployment conditions.
In 2025, TG1 created impact by contributing to the ERTRAC Long Distance Freight Transport roadmap, engaging with the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative, supporting road freight automation initiatives, informing members on CountEmissionsEU developments, and sharing insights from projects, webinars and policy updates.
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TG1 contributes to strategic and technical outputs that support the logistics community. Key resources include:
BELOGIC is linked to TG1 as a starting project and focuses on strategies, tools and concepts for optimised battery-electric long-haul logistics use cases
CCAMbassador is a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (CSA) that supports the transition of Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) from research and innovation into real-world deployment.
CENTREe is linked to the future road transport research agenda and supports work on defining future R&I priorities for road freight transport.
Developing a reliable methodology for calculating transport emission factors to support transparent and credible emissions reporting across Europe.
FLEXMCS designs and demonstrates highly energy-efficient megawatt charging hubs that accelerate the large-scale deployment of electric trucks in Europe.
MACBETH works on megawatt charging hubs for battery-electric trucks and provides insights into infrastructure, vehicles, tools and electricity-grid developments.
MODI provides insights into road freight automation on open roads and in hubs, and contributes to EU testbeds, ECAVA and CCAM large-scale demonstration initiatives.
PreLSDemo lays the groundwork for future large-scale CCAM demonstrations by developing an integrated demonstration plan, societal readiness tools, harmonised testing and evaluation methods, and a readiness catalogue for use cases and test sites.
ZEFES provides insights into road freight electrification and demonstrates how a holistic ecosystem approach can support long-haul, cross-border freight transport..
STRENGTHM is linked to the ERTRAC Long Distance Freight Transport roadmap and supports the definition of future R&I priorities for road transport. The work on the ERTRAC LDFT roadmap is connected to this project.
The ALICE Knowledge Platform gives members access to more detailed TG1 knowledge, project outputs, webinar materials, policy monitoring updates and related resources.
TG1 is led by representatives from the ALICE membership and supported by the ALICE Secretariat.
TG1 is relevant for organisations working on road freight decarbonisation, road freight automation, zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics operations, emission accounting, policy frameworks and large-scale deployment of innovative freight solutions.
Members can exchange knowledge on low-emission and automated freight technologies, contribute to discussions on deployment barriers, share operational use cases, take part in webinars and workshops, provide input to policy and R&I priorities, and connect with related projects and initiatives.