Report shows why so few buyers choose electric vans

It is based on research by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), commissioned by the Government to better understand the driving and charging patterns of van fleets and the barriers to uptake of electric vans and smart charging technology.

The research included a survey with van fleet operators, interviews with van fleet operators and interviews with van drivers. Participants worked for businesses in a variety of sectors and locations. The fleets ranged in size from two to 55,203. The sample was weighted towards those who operated or drove electric vans but, as a point of comparison, also included those who did not.

Overall, the operators and drivers who participated in this research were supportive of electric vans in theory. Despite this positive outlook and the fact that some research participants had adopted electric vans, several barriers to uptake were found. Many reported that the electric van models currently available don’t provide the ability to travel the daily distances required without being re-charged during the working shift.

Operators were reluctant to change their operational model to account for this additional charging time. Some research participants were unsure whether the advertised range of vans was accurate for their payloads and a few reported struggling to access demonstrator vehicles to test this for themselves.

Operators who had adopted electric vans tended to run businesses which required shorter drive distance per shift and/or where drive distances were more consistent. It appeared that those who drove more varying distances between shifts were less likely to have adopted electric vans. This can be interpreted in terms of distance and variability – operators feel more confident adopting electric vans when they are more certain that the distance driven per shift falls within the range of the vehicle.

It was notable that operators who had adopted electric vans tended to have done so for only part of their fleet. This seemed to be because they had different types of operations within the business, and electric vans were deemed suitable for those driving the shorter and/or less variable routes – but not for other routes.

As well as the perception that the range of vehicles was not always reported to be suitable for business needs, research participants felt that there isn’t currently a cost-effective and feasible way to charge electric vehicles. Many don’t use a back-to-depot model which means that they would be reliant on public charging. Some felt that public charging is expensive and would negate any cost savings achieved by the overall lower cost of electricity compared to petrol or diesel.

Other challenges included a perception that charge points for business vehicles are hard to find, may not be in working order, may not be suitable for large vans and may require waiting for long periods of time.

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