Retrofitting of diesel vans to electric urged to meet net zero target

Otherwise, it warns, Britain’s van fleets will continue to be reliant on diesel engines.

A report from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows that 90.5% per cent of all vans in Europe still run on diesel, with the UK having an even higher proportion (94%) of diesel light commercials.

Bedeo argues that Government policy remains fixated on new vehicle sales rather than real-world solutions that would have an immediate impact.

France has already embraced retrofitting with Government-backed incentives, with Bedeo claiming that retrofitting can cost up to 50% less than purchasing a new large battery-electric van.

“Van fleet operators need real options – not just the choice between new large electric vans or nothing,” said Osman Boyner, founder and CEO of Bedeo. “Retrofitting extends the lifespan of existing large vans, keeps businesses moving and drastically reduces emissions without breaking the bank. Not to mention that retrofitting does all this without impacting payload, which we know is a real problem for managers of large van fleets.”

Boyner said that if you look at the average age of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in the EU and UK – the oldest belonging to Greece at 21.1 years and 9.8 in the UK according to Government figures – the 2035 phase-out of new fossil-fuelled vehicles won’t make much of a dent to carbon reductions if pre-existing vehicles using petrol and diesel continue to pollute for decades after the ban.

“In fact, this will continue well past 2040,” he said. “To put this into perspective, in 2024, van vehicle miles racked up 58.7 billion miles and, in general, vans in the UK are responsible for 18% of all vehicle miles. That’s a fair amount of greenhouse gases. It’s time for our UK Government to support real-world solutions instead of ignoring the practical challenges large van fleets face.

“I fear we’ll look back and wish we had taken action today and looked at a viable solution that’s available today – retrofitting – and not ignoring its ability to decarbonise.”

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