Truck and van fleets struggle to embrace electric vehicles

Analysis showed that just one in seven (13%) brokers believe their commercial motor clients are adapting well to electric or hybrid vehicles, while almost half (44%) say fleet operators are adapting poorly or not at all.

When it comes to readiness for sustainability regulations, just one in 11 (9%) consider operators somewhat prepared, with a further quarter (25%) describing them as either somewhat unprepared or entirely unprepared.

The findings, says DCL, reflect the whole commercial motor market and underline the difficulties faced in the HGV segment where limited vehicle availability, mileage concerns and infrastructure challenges continue to hold back EV penetration.

While some movement is visible in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) space, with electric LCVs accounting for around 8% of new registrations in June, they still make up a small proportion of total fleets, says DCL

Joe Hantson, deputy CEO of Direct Commercial, said: “Brokers are telling us the same story across the board. Fleets aren’t resisting the sustainability agenda – they’re navigating practical challenges at different speeds. In LCVs, we’re seeing some adoption, but in HGVs it’s clear the shift will take far longer to gather momentum.”