Opinion: Support for electric vans must continue

The ZEV Mandate states that this year, 24% of new vans sold in the UK have to be electric.

If you combine the number of eLCVs under 3.5 tonnes and those between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes sold in April, it equates to 11.1% so far this year, but next year, the target rises to 34%, while in 2028, almost half (46%) of all vans sold will have to be electric.

While targets are increasing, I welcome the support the Government continues to provide customers through the Zero Emission Van Grant, with a discount of up to £5,000 available across our range.

eLCV champion

While such support is helpful, legislators and the industry must continue to champion eLCVs, and work with us to ensure misconceptions are quashed.

Some common ones among those thinking about an eLCV include range not being enough, the payload of diesel vans trumping electric equivalents, and that charging takes too long.

While these concerns may have been valid with early electric vans, today’s story is very different.

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), between March 2023 and March 2024, the average mileage of a van driver was 8,232 miles a year. That’s roughly 32 miles per weekday. Our Farizon SV large van has a range of up to 247 miles, while our urban-focused V7E can travel up to 204 miles before a charge is needed.

Ground up development

As for the misconception that charging electric vans is slow, topping up our V7E from 20% to 80% can take just 18 minutes.