OEM giant Stellantis and some of the largest fleet operators in the UK have signed a letter to the Government’s newly-appointed transport secretary Louise Haigh, calling for more action to boost electric van uptake.
The letter urges the Government to implement measures outlined in the Zero Emission Van Plan – these include improved charging infrastructure with van needs in mind, removal of regulatory barriers that are preventing operators from making the switch to electric and increased fiscal support to make new and used e-vans affordable.
Signatories to the letter include Stellantis, parent of major van brands including Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat and the Fleet News Fleet200 Strategy Network, which represents some of the largest fleet operators in the UK.
The Zero Emission Van Plan was launched in the Houses of Parliament in February following widespread collaboration between the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), Logistics UK, Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and The EV Café.
Commenting on the latter a spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan said that registrations for electric vans have stalled from an already low starting point and while the Government’s ZEV mandate (which required a manufacturer’s van sales rot be 10% zero emission by the end of 2024) has been introduced to stimulate supply, demand is lagging – in fact take-up declining rather than increasing.
“Van operators are struggling to make the transition work, facing barrier after barrier across vehicle quality, performance, cost, and charging infrastructure,” the spokesman said.
“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.”
