The letter to the Transport Secretary from the coalition has been undersigned by the UK’s leading van manufacturer, Stellantis, and FN200, which represents the nation’s 200 largest fleet operators. Together, they are calling for the new Secretary of State to implement the Zero Emission Van Plan, to overcome the barriers to introducing electric vans in the UK and boost the electric van market.
The Zero Emission Van Plan calls for:
Improved charging infrastructure with van needs in mind
Removal of regulatory barriers that are preventing operators from making the switch
Increased fiscal support to make new and used e-vans affordable
One in ten workers - 3.4 million people—rely on a van for their jobs across a wide range of industries, from engineering and construction to emergency and rescue services. Commercial vehicles are the fastest-growing part of the vehicle parc. However, the Climate Change Committee’s progress report last summer warned that, ‘electric van sales are still lagging and remain significantly off track’. The situation has hardly moved in the 12 months since the report, with SMMT data showing electric vans accounting for less than 5 percent of registrations so far in 2024.
The Zero Emission Van Plan coalition has invited Louise Haigh MP to visit a depot of an operator that has embraced electric vans, to enable the Transport Secretary to see the vehicles first hand and hear about the scale of the challenge to achieving widespread adoption.
Having launched in the Houses of Parliament in February earlier this year, the Zero Emission Van Plan is the output of widespread collaboration between the BVRLA, Logistics UK, Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), and The EV Café.
“Registrations for electric vans have stalled, from an already low starting point” said a spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan. “The ZEV mandate has been introduced to stimulate supply, but demand is lagging. Van operators are struggling to make the transition work, facing barrier after barrier across vehicle quality, performance, cost, and charging infrastructure.The Zero Emission Van Plan is clear. For the transition to work, we need increased fiscal support, improved charging and the removal of regulatory barriers. We are calling on the new government to take decisive action to make electric vans a realistic option for millions of drivers.”
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