There is no industry standard for manufacturers to follow for establishing the range of their electric vehicles.

This means fleets could be acquiring electric vehicles that according to the manufacturer’s figures can travel 80 miles between charges, but in reality once loaded and with the heater running, wipers operating and lights on, have a significantly shorter range.

Iveco for example quotes its electric Daily range with a full payload but with the heater not operating. However, Renault which says its electric Kangoo Z.E. has a range of 100 miles, calculates the range with an empty load and no electrical equipment, such as lights, heating or windscreen wipers, operating.

“The range is calculated exactly the same way as the combined fuel consumption figure (NEDC) is for petrol and diesel vehicles. It is calculated empty of a load,” said a Renault spokesman.

“The range of an EV isn't dramatically affected by the weight. We estimate 100kg reduces the range by 2%.”

Renault also points out that its EVs can be pre-cooled or pre-heated whilst charging.

Last week, representatives from the majority of commercial vehicle makers who have already or are intending to launch electric vans met last week to begin setting the criteria.

At the meeting was Robin Dickeson, SMMT manager of commercial vehicle affairs, who said that while fleets may prefer for manufacturers to establish an electric van’s range “when it is fully laden on a cold wet night when the lights and heaters are turned on”, such a scenario is not going to happen.

And before manufacturers even start setting the criteria, they have to agree which vehicles will be tested.

“There was a lot of discussion about defining what a true low-carbon or zero-carbon vehicle is,” he said. “And do we calculate well-to-wheel or just tailpipe emissions?”

There are other issues such as how series hybrids are defined – are they range-extended electric vehicles or should be classed with vans powered by internal combustion engines?

These discussions are likely to take months to resolve and it will only be then that UK fleets will be able to compare EVs on a like for like basis.

Until then fleet managers planning to acquire electric vans should trial them, talk with Cenex and look at its trial results and discuss with the manufacturer its own real-life trial results.