Government hears electric van challenges first-hand from fleets

Fleet decision-makers shared the challenges of transitioning their van fleets to electric power with the Government at a recent industry roundtable.

The meeting, which was chaired by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and attended by future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, explored the barriers to the adoption of electric vans and the solutions that are required to support the sector.

They were joined by representatives from leading fleet operators, including Royal Mail, Centrica, Amazon, ASDA, BT Openreach, Tesco, DHL, Dawsongroup Vans and Lloyds Banking Group, while trade bodies, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and Logistics UK, and Government departments, the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Department for Transport (DfT), were also in attendance.

Toby Poston, chief executive of the BVRLA, said he welcomed the “open dialogue” with Government in “constructive” talks.

“The needs of our sector are as diverse as they are plentiful,” he added.

“We covered everything from charge points and regulatory burdens through to the ZEV (zero emission vehicle) mandate.

“There was a genuine sense of positivity in the room, and a shared commitment to help take the sector forward.”

While there are pockets where adoption of electric vans has been brisk, acceptance across the sector as a whole remains sluggish.

The reasons for this are practical, according to AFP chair Paul Hollick. In an opinion piece for Fleet News this month (May), he said that many fleets feel that the electric vans currently available are too limited when it comes to range and payload, as well as being too expensive. 

“Swapping them into operational roles currently filled by diesel models requires too many compromises,” he added.

Regulations of heavier electric vans have also come in for criticism from the AFP and others, with fleets awaiting the Government’s response to a consultation on regulations related to annual vehicle testing, drivers’ hours and tachographs, and speed limiter devices, for 4.25 tonne electric vans. 

Transport minister Greenwood said it was “great” to join the BVRLA and van fleet leaders from across the UK to discuss how the Government can speed up the switch to zero emission vans.

“We will always be on the side of British businesses and van makers,” she added, citing the recent £120 million of funding to support the rollout of zero emission vans through the extension to the plug-in van grant for another year. 

The wide-ranging discussion looked at what more the Government can do to support zero-emission van uptake and the emerging challenges affecting fleets.

Engagement between the sector and Government is ongoing, said the BVRLA, with the potential to see further regulatory or policy changes in the coming weeks, when the Government is expected to announce its industrial strategy and the outcome of its comprehensive spending review earlier this year on June 11.