Nine out of 10 businesses would rely on public on-street charging if they switched to running electric vehicles, according to new research commissioned by manufacturer Vauxhall.
The research, conducted among 2,000 UK fleet operators from a range of industries nationwide, found that many fleet operators want to adopt electric vans (EVs), but consider this an impractical move due to shortfalls in current levels of on-street charging.
More than one-fifth (23%) of fleet operators named the lack of adequate on-street charging as the main barrier stopping their fleets going electric today.
In the study, published in the new ‘Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report’, 84% of fleet operators told Vauxhall they have at least one electric van currently on their fleet, and of those who don’t, 90% said they plan to add an EV onto their fleet within the next year.
Some 81% of businesses described the prospect of installing EV charging provisions at their operating bases as “problematic”, highlighting the importance of improvements in public charging infrastructure.
Most businesses concluded that it would be impractical to adopt an all-electric fleet any earlier than late 2028, but 90% of fleet operators are planning for their business to be fully electric before 2035, the date currently set for the UK Government’s planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
Stellantis UK group managing director Eurig Druce described the findings of the research as highlighting the growing reliance of UK businesses on residential EV charging infrastructure to make the electric transition
“Charging at home or work is incredibly convenient, and the charging network on Britain’s major roads is improving at a very rapid pace, however, to ensure fleet operators are comfortable moving to electric, councils need to work with charge point operators to install charge points on residential roads that need it most,” Druce added.
Vauxhall is running an Electric Streets of Britain campaign, inviting residents, businesses and fleet operators to register their on-street charging needs. This information is then passed to local authorities for them to make more informed decisions on where to install new chargers.
Druce added that research conducted in 2024 had revealed that only 19% of all households who need a public charge point are close to one. “It is only when this figure increases that businesses and fleet operators will feel confident in their transition towards electrification,” he said.
A positive point from the survey saw 83% of fleet operators currently using electric vans stating that they bring benefits to their business, while 91% of all fleet operators believe switching to an all-electric fleet would positively impact customer perception of their business.
More than 75,000 electric vans are now estimated to be on the road, while the number of public charge points across the UK increased by 38% in 2024, bringing the total to more than 73,000, helped in part by the continued roll out of the Government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.
However, 72% of the UK’s on-street chargers are found in Greater London, highlighting the need for a more targeted approach to installation to allow access to power nationwide.
The full research published in the Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report can be downloaded here.
