The challenges facing van operators looking to move to cleaner, greener vehicles will be discussed in Parliament next week, marking a key moment in the Zero Emission Van Plan campaign.
Bill Esterson MP (chair of Energy Security and Net Zero Committee) attending the ZEVP launch in February
On Tuesday (29th October), members of parliament will debate the topic of the zero-emission van transition, with the Transport Minister in attendance and required to provide a formal response. The debate has been raised by Sarah Edwards MP, having met with industry representatives at the BVRLA’s stand during last month’s Labour Party Conference.
Fleet operators and industry stakeholders are being encouraged to write to their local MP to request that they attend the debate and show their support for the sector.
Vehicle registration data from the SMMT shows that adoption of zero-emission vans is not growing at the rate required to meet the terms of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The mandate was introduced in January and requires 10% of new van registrations in 2024 to be for models with zero emissions at the tailpipe.
Van Plan launch
New registration figures for zero-emission vans have remained around 5% (YTD in September: 5.3%, SMMT). Fundamental barriers are preventing adoption and need urgent attention, according to the industry coalition behind the Zero Emission Van Plan. The coalition includes the BVRLA, Logistics UK, the REA and its EV forum REcharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), and The EV Café.
A spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan, said: “The ZEV mandate has been introduced to stimulate supply, but demand is lagging. Many van operators want to make the switch but are met by electric LCVs that are too expensive and struggle to cope with their operational needs, particularly when it comes to charging.
Zero Emission Van Plan
“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. While many fleets are making the switch and seeing early success, the majority are unable to adopt greener vehicles due to the financial and operational sacrifices that are required.”
“It is encouraging to see policymakers starting to take the transition to zero-emission vans more seriously. Vans are the workhorses of the UK economy and the fastest growing part of the vehicle parc. The government must do more to support electric van users,” the spokesperson concluded.
Stakeholders can write to their MP directly via the quick-and-easy tool on the BVRLA website: https://www.bvrla.co.uk/industry-campaigns/decarbonisation/van-plan.html.
