Who gets the money The funding comes from the Freight Innovation Fund, financed by the Department for Transport and run by Connected Places Catapult, a government-backed innovation agency.
The trials will run with GXO, Welch Group and TwentyForty, as well as Portsmouth International Port, Port of Tyne and Shoreham Port.
Earlier in the process, each start-up could receive up to £10,000 (about €12,000) to prepare a trial plan, and up to £100,000 (about €120,000) to run it.
Paua Tech (with GXO, TwentyForty and Welch Group) is building a common booking system for chargers used by commercial fleets.
Read also: No cab, no driver, daily runs: driverless electric trucks are now hauling freight in the US.