With the ban on the sale new petrol or diesel vehicles just one or two replacement cycles away, transitioning to an electric fleet is at the top of the agenda for the majority of fleet decision-makers.

But the switch to the zero-emission technology is fraught with obstacles – especially for van operators who face legislative issues as well as vehicle suitability and charging.

In the Electric Fleet: Taking Charge report, we look in detail about how you can start the journey to van electrification and speak to those already well advanced in their transition about the innovative ways in which they overcome some of the problems.

Employing industry experts and scientific research, we also bust some myths about batteries – spoiler alert, the average level of degradation at 1.8% a year is much lower than many predicted - and look at the technologies poised to come to market promising greater range and faster charging.

The minor level of degradation has boosted leasing company confidence to add used electric vehicles to their corporate offering – and in another feature they tell us that demand from fleets is rising.

Meanwhile, Openreach head of sustainability Abby Chicken explains how the UK’s largest fleet is managing the transition to electric, and we also look at 10 of the best electric car and van models due to come to market this year.

The report, sponsored by Allstar, Athlon, Northgate and Shell Fleet Solutions, also looks at the public charging infrastructure, and the electric vehicles you can expect to see within the next 12 months.

In this report:

Overcoming challenges to van electrification - how fleets are facing up to legislation, charging and vehicle suitability issues

Key steps for a smooth transition to electric vans – how to ease the process to a zero-emission fleet

Solving electrification issues through innovation – four technologies helping fleets

The truth about battery degradation – real-world experience of thousands of EVs shows true rate of decline

Public charging network makes rapid advances – what needs to happen for the infrastructure to be fit for the future

Used EV leasing is opening doors for fleet electrification - organisations save money by choosing second-life cars

Openreach hits ‘tipping point’ in electric transition journey – business now operates around 4,200 electric vans

EVs coming soon – the key fleet vehicles heading to your fleet in the next 12 months