© Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage - An 80-ton fully electric Scania tractor unit hauling Komatsu’s 14-ton electric PC138E excavator

A sight that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago is now rolling across UK roads, an 80-ton fully electric Scania tractor unit hauling Komatsu’s 14-ton electric PC138E excavator. This is more than a headline moment. It marks a critical turning point for zero-emission heavy machinery, a sector long considered “too hard to electrify.”

Powered entirely by batteries at both ends, this heavy-duty combination is already proving what is achievable when OEM innovation meets real-world construction demands. In early field trials with Balfour Beatty on the M25/A3 Junction 10 upgrade, the Komatsu electric excavator alone delivered impressive results:

6,751 litres of diesel saved
18,042 kg of CO₂ avoided
Zero tailpipe emissions, reduced noise, and no loss in performance

These figures reinforce what ZeroMission has known from day one. Data driven, electric first operations are not just the future, they are delivering measurable impact today.

What This Means for the Industry

This milestone signals a major shift for heavy-duty transport, construction, and fleet operators.

1. The “hard to decarbonise” sectors are opening up

For years, HGVs and heavy plant machinery were considered resistant to electrification. This Scania and Komatsu pairing proves the opposite.
OEMs are no longer experimenting. They are deploying.

2. Real performance data will drive rapid adoption

Savings like those recorded on the M25 project demonstrate the business case.
Electric machinery is now showing lower operating costs, fewer moving parts, predictable charging cycles, and a clear CO₂ advantage.

3. Fleet operations must be data driven, integrated and predictive

As mixed heavy-duty fleets grow diesel, EV, hydrogen, hybrid, operators need centralised control towers to manage energy, availability, charging, utilisation, TCO, and live operations.
This is exactly what ZeroMission’s éXō platform enables, turning complex multi fuel fleets into a single optimised operational ecosystem.

4. Infrastructure projects will accelerate decarbonisation

Civil engineering firms, contractors, utility providers and public bodies are under pressure to deliver net zero construction.
Fully electric machinery opens the door to:

Low emission construction zones
Cleaner air around urban projects
Lower noise for night works
Compliance with new tender requirements

5. This is a preview of 2025 to 2030

With more BEVs joining heavy fleets next year, this is not a one off demonstration, it is the first wave of a rapidly scaling transition.

ZeroMission’s View

At ZeroMission, we are supporting fleets across the UK and Ireland as they electrify vans, trucks, and increasingly, heavy plant machinery.

Our view is simple.
The moment heavy-duty electrification becomes operationally viable, everything changes.
And that moment has arrived.

The Scania and Komatsu combination is more than a milestone. It is proof that the transition to zero-emission infrastructure delivery is accelerating faster than most expected. With the right data, planning, and operational platform, fleets can move earlier, cut costs sooner, and lead the next wave of clean construction and logistics.

Reach out to our expert team at zeromission