Electric vans are fit for purpose now, CCIA delegates told

Fleet decision makers shouldn’t put off electric van purchases in the hope of improved battery technology coming in the near future, according to a panel of manufacturer representatives.

During a discussion at Company Car in Action, delegates were told that while new battery technology is development, it won’t be coming anytime soon.

New electric vans are already available with ranges in excess of 200 miles and, according to the panel, that should be enough to suit the needs of most operations.

Tom Ray, B2B operations director at Stellantis, said: “Now is the right time to buy electric vehicles. I don't think we'll have a big step forward in LCV battery technology, not noticeably for some time and the reason being is if you increase that battery size you decrease the payload.

“The bigger point is around infrastructure. What we can see is there is a heavy reliance on DC charging. And if you are going to reduce downtime, which is costly, and that's what every fleet manager needs to do, we need access to street charging at an affordable price and fast chargers.”

But, solid state technology is being worked on and, in the longer term, it will bring significant range advantages for fleets.

Justin Costello, head of fleet at Renault Group, explained: “The key thing is not when it’s going to be available but when it will be available at a price point that is relevant to the UK fleet market.

“At the moment, our focus is around variety of battery of sizes and scale, and we're focusing very much on value for the customer.”

The Renault Master already offers a WLTP range of 280 miles and incorporates rapid charging so top-ups can be completed while drivers are having a break.

But many fleet managers have found that the real-world range of electric vans falls short of that advertised.

Kate McLaren, head of marketing & sales operations, at Jameel Motors confirmed to delegates that the new Farizon SV electric van is undergoing independent range testing to establish more accurate real-world data. The results will be published in due course.

You can register your interest in attending Company Car in Action 2026 now.