Slow zero emission van uptake set for parliamentary debate

The Transport Ministerwill be in attendance and required to provide a formal response.The debate has been raised by Sarah Edwards MP after industry representatives from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) spotlighted major concerns about the zero-emission vans at last month’s Labour Party Conference.

Vehicle registration data from the SMMT shows adoption of green 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 OEMs to reach a target for 10% of new van registrations in 2024 to be for models with zero emissions at the tailpipe.

But latest registration figures show that zero-emission LCVs up to 4.25 tonnes only accounted for 5.2% of the market in September and 5.3% for the first nine months of the year. A coalition, which includes the BVRLA, Logistics UK, the REA and its EV forum Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and the EV Café, launched the Zero Emission Van Plan campaign in February and are calling for key changes to electric van affordability, vehicle charging and regulations.

A spokesperson 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.

“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.”

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