The coalition behind the Zero Emission Van Plan has written to the new Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh to urge her to take action to get electric van usage on track.
The letter to the Transport Secretary from the coalition has been undersigned by the UK van manufacturer, Stellantis, and FN200, which represents the nation’s 200 largest fleet operators.
They are calling for Haigh 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 for vans; removal of regulatory barriers; and financial support.
It follows the Climate Change Committee’s progress report warning that ‘electric van sales are still lagging and remain significantly off track’, despite one in ten workers using such vehicles. The situation has only moved slightly forward a year since the report, with SMMT data showing electric vans accounting for less than 5% of registrations so far in 2024.
The Zero Emission Van Plan coalition has invited Haigh to visit a depot of an operator with electric vans, to enable her to see about the scale of the challenge to achieving widespread adoption.
The plan, launched earlier this year, is a collaboration between the BVRLA, Logistics UK, Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), and The EV Café.
A spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan, said:
“Registrations for electric vans have stalled, from an already low starting point. 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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