Category: 3. Business

Hauliers and fleet operators will access discounts of up to £120,000 on new electric trucks thanks to an additional £18 million announced by the government today (6 January 2026) to increase the Plug-in Truck Grant until March 2026.

The move is part of a £318 million plan for green freight, which is backing British businesses by slashing upfront costs on new lorries and helping businesses to access the lower running costs. This is all part of the government’s plan to reduce emissions while cutting costs, sparking growth and creating jobs as the sector moves to the technology of the future.

Similar to the government’s Electric Car Grant, which has saved over 45,000 drivers up to £3,750 when making the switch, the Plug-in-Truck Grant enables lorry operators to access savings of up to £120,000 when buying a new electric truck.

New grant levels mean: 

• smaller trucks (4.25t to 12t) could save up to £20,000  
• mid-sized trucks (12t to 18t) up to £60,000 
• larger trucks (18t to 26t) up to £80,000 
• and the largest lorries (26t and over) up to £120,000

Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, Keir Mather, said:

We’re backing British businesses to go green by making electric lorries more affordable, helping hauliers to make the switch whilst turbocharging growth, investment and jobs in the sector.

Our proposals will provide the certainty the industry has been calling for so that Britain becomes the best place for green investment.

The funding is set to increase zero emission truck sales to support delivery of the UK’s climate obligations and comes as the government has already invested over £120 million as part of the zero emission heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and infrastructure demonstrator (ZEHID) programme to roll out more zero emission lorries on UK roads.

Backed by this fund, companies like Amazon and Marks & Spencer have already rolled out more electric delivery trucks on UK roads, with ZEHID rolling out nearly 300 zero emission HGVs by March 2026.

Day-to-day running costs can already be lower for electric lorries compared to their diesel counterparts, but upfront vehicle costs are typically higher. The increase to the Plug-in Truck Grant will help businesses access those daily savings, cutting costs for businesses as well as emissions.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager,  Amazon UK:

Amazon welcomes the government’s continued commitment to supporting the electrification of commercial fleets. The UK will be home to the largest number of electric heavy goods trucks in Amazon’s global transportation network and the first of our record-breaking order of eHGVs are already on the road.

We’re investing to help the UK decarbonise and meet our goal of being net zero carbon by 2040. We look forward to continuing to work with the government to ensure the growth of more sustainable logistics.

Alongside increased funding, the government will also launch a consultation on the regulatory roadmap to phase out sales of new non-zero emission HGVs by 2040, giving industry the certainty it needs to invest and plan for the future. 

By consulting closely with industry, the government will ensure the road to net zero is one that works for businesses and supports jobs, growth and increased investment.

New measures will be introduced to make online public services more secure and resilient, so people can use them with confidence – whether applying for benefits, paying taxes or accessing healthcare. 

Backed by over £210 million, the Government Cyber Action Plan published today (Tuesday 6 January) sets out how government will rise to meet the growing range of online threats. Driven by a new Government Cyber Unit, the plan will rapidly improve cyber defences and digital resilience across government departments and the wider public sector, so people can trust that their data and services are protected.  

It underpins UK Government plans to digitise public services. This will make more services accessible online, reduce time spent on phone queues and paperwork, and enable citizens to access support without repeating information across multiple departments. This approach could unlock up to £45 billion (note) in productivity savings by using technology effectively across the public sector. 

However, realising these benefits depends on trust. As services move online, they must be secure and resilient. Cyber attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes, disrupting lives and undermining confidence. The new plan addresses this challenge head-on. 

Released as the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill has its Second Reading in the House of Commons, the Bill sets out clear expectations for firms providing services to government to boost their cyber resilience. From energy and water suppliers to healthcare and data centres, strong defences throughout supply chains will help keep the water running and the lights burning – facing down the cyber attackers who want to grind our country to a halt.   

The plan will lead to: 

• clearer visibility of risks: shining a light on cyber and digital resilience risks across government, so we can focus efforts where it matters most
• stronger central action on the toughest challenges: taking decisive, joined-up action across departments on severe and complex risks that no single organisation can solve alone with a dedicated team overseeing coordination
• faster response to threats and incidents: reacting quickly to fast-moving cyber threats and vulnerabilities to minimise harm and speed up recovery by requiring departments to have robust incident response arrangements in place
• higher resilience across government: boosting resilience at scale, with targeted measures to close major gaps and protect critical services

Digital Government Minister Ian Murray said: 

Cyber-attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes – disrupting our digital services and our very way of life.  

This plan sets a new bar to bolster the defences of our public sector, putting cyber-criminals on warning that we are going further and faster to protect the UK’s businesses and public services alike. 

This is how we keep people safe, services running, and build a government the public can trust in the digital age.

Today’s plan is also bolstered by further steps to take the UK’s cyber defences further and faster. 

A new Software Security Ambassador Scheme will now help drive adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice – a voluntary project designed to reduce software supply chain attacks and disruption. 

Software underpins the economy as a core component of all technologies that businesses rely on. Yet weaknesses in software can cause severe disruption to supply chains and the essential services the public use every day with more than half (59%) (note) of organisations experiencing software supply chain attacks in the past year. 

These issues can be addressed by embedding basic software security practices across the software market. Among others, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Sage, Santander and NCC Group will come on board as the scheme’s ambassadors, championing the Code across sectors, showcasing practical implementation, and providing feedback to inform future policy improvements. 

Cyber risk to the public sector remains high. The plan responds with £210 million to spark a step change in public sector cyber defences, holding organisations to account for fixing vulnerabilities. This includes setting clear minimum standards and investing in more hands-on support to minimise the impact when incidents do occur.

Cyber resilience is central to the government’s mission of national renewal. Secure, reliable digital public services help protect citizens, support growth, and deliver better value for taxpayers, while maintaining trust in the services communities rely on every day.

Thomas Harvey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Santander UK said:

We are pleased to be an ambassador for the UK government’s Software Security Code of Practice and it reflects our broader commitment to collective resilience. By advocating for these standards we’re not just protecting Santander and our customers, we are helping to build a more secure digital economy for everyone.

Notes to editors

1. Statistics referenced in the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology’s State of Digital Government review.
2. Statistics on software supply chain cyber incidents are taken from The State of Software Supply Chain Security Risks report, by Ponemon Institute LLC.

Thank you all.

Our goal is to be the best, and our safety results improved across the board, making us the safest railroad for ensuring employees return home as healthy as they were when they showed up for work. We achieved double-digit reductions in accidents, both in terms of GTM workload and accidents per million train miles. We will remain focused on our safety journey by continuing to invest in our people, technology and facilities.

Our other two strategic pillars, Service and Operational Excellence, are also industry leading. We closed out 2025 with service levels that often exceeded what we promised our customers. These strong results position us to win in the marketplace and affirm our confidence that a merger with Norfolk Southern will mean stronger service levels for customers across the country.

As shared at our live employee town hall in December, we completed the next major step of the merger process and officially filed our application with the Surface Transportation Board. I’ve mentioned many times the benefits our combination with Norfolk Southern will deliver for America, our employees and our customers, so I won’t go into detail again. Instead, please visit our merger website for information on how it improves safety, service and customer options, and reduces trucks on highways.  

We have hundreds of supporters. We also knew opponents would come forward, and we understand why. Our opponents see an enhanced competitor that will be faster, delivering service with fewer touch points and less complications for customers. They see us coming and know that to compete they will need to either improve their service, price or both – and that is at the heart of all their concerns.

The Canadian government plans to invest billions in expanding port capacity on both the West and East coasts. A more efficient Union Pacific would enhance competition and help keep more jobs in the United States.

Let me be clear, our competitors want to be the best, too. If they thought we were doing something that would make Union Pacific weak, they would remain silent.

Some pundits are going back three decades to dissect the Southern Pacific merger. Over the last 30 years, technology has moved forward and efficiencies have moved forward with technology.  In fact, we operate 30% fewer trains than we did six years ago while moving more carloads. We achieved this by removing touch points, leveraging technology and maximizing opportunities.  

When I joined Union Pacific in 2019, I was unfamiliar with the complexity of its network. I used 40 years of railroading experience – as a locomotive engineer, conductor, yardmaster, clerk, sales manager, market manager, and key superintendent at flat yards, hump yards, and major port locations – to lead a team that improved Union Pacific’s efficiency, delivered better service and fostered growth. The Norfolk Southern integration will be handled the same way. 

I’ve gotten to know our Union Pacific team really well. I’ve met with many of you and know you are clear on our vision and our strengths and that you are focused on achieving positive outcomes. I am looking forward to what we will continue to do together.

2026 will be an exciting year with lots of achievements. We will celebrate our nation’s 250^th anniversary by bringing out Big Boy No. 4014 to make history on its first-ever coast-to-coast tour. I look forward to announcing the tour schedule soon, so Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern employees can bring their families to key stops on the route as a celebration of where we came from and where we are headed.

Thank you for the role you play on this winning team.

Jim Vena