Vertellus, the OEM-backed full-service commercial vehicle contract hire and fleet management specialist, is helping Marks & Spencer (M&S) progress its net zero ambitions with the addition of two 19-tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide 4×2 rigids through its 12-month EV Discovery Programme.
Image: Vertellus
Fitted with TVS box bodies and 1.5-tonne DEL tail-lifts, the electric rigids are now delivering M&S’s fashion, home and beauty products across London, including to the retailer’s Battersea Power Station store. Selected for routes inaccessible to larger articulated vehicles, the manoeuvrable E-Tech D Wides enable zero tailpipe emission deliveries to urban stores, supporting cleaner air and reduced noise across the Capital.
As a specialist in de-risking fleet decarbonisation, Vertellus partners with operators such as M&S to plan, deploy and optimise ready-to-work zero-emission commercial vehicles. Its EV Discovery Programme allows operators to trial electric trucks in real-world operations before committing to full-scale deployment. The 12-month, fixed-cost programme includes the vehicle, maintenance, and ongoing technical support.
The new EV Discovery Programme vehicles contribute to M&S’s Plan A target to become a Net Zero business across its value chain by 2040 and inform both M&S and Vertellus’ future electrification strategy. Operating from M&S’s Fashion, Home & Beauty distribution centre in Welham Green, the trucks join the retailer’s expanding electric fleet, which already includes eight Renault Trucks E-Tech tractor units delivered under the eFREIGHT 2030 programme and three 26-tonne E-Tech D rigid refrigerated vehicles.
Image: Vertellus
To date, the vehicles have covered over 16,500 km, delivering substantial CO₂ savings compared with equivalent diesel trucks and demonstrating the environmental benefits of electric vehicle deployment in live retail operations. The Renault Trucks E-Tech D rigids feature four 66kWh batteries, providing 211kWh of usable energy and a real-world range of up to 200 km per charge. With zero tailpipe emissions and near-silent operation, they are ideally suited to London’s highly regulated urban delivery zones.
Further enhancing operational efficiency, the trucks are fitted with Renault Trucks’ Optifleet Check, which provides detailed technical reports on electrical performance and energy consumption by vehicle and driver, helping M&S optimise its electric vehicle operations.
“Our role goes beyond vehicle supply,” said Rhian Burrell, Managing Director, Vertellus. “We’re proud to be working with M&S on their decarbonisation journey, partnering closely to make fleet electrification practical, measurable and commercially viable. Supporting M&S in the next phase of its electrification journey demonstrates how our EV Discovery Programme removes complexity and risk while delivering immediate carbon savings and valuable insight, proving that zero-emission logistics works today, even in demanding urban environments.”
