The arrival of a wider range and greater numbers of electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) is to come under focus in the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA)’s next ‘Focus on…’ webinar.

2022 is likely to see eLCVs emerge as a major force in the light commercial vehicle market, according to the VRA

Taking place at 10am on Thursday 25 November, the event will start with a detailed presentation from Paul Kirby of EV Essentials about the rapidly-changing picture on electric vans and their adoption.

A panel discussion looking at different aspects of eLCVs in relation to remarketing will then follow, featuring Dean Hedger, new business development manager at The AA; Steve Botfield, senior editor, commercial vehicles at Cap HPI; and Dave Fisher, fleet manager at Virgin Media O2.

Philip Nothard, chair at the VRA, said: “As visitors to the recent CV Show can attest, it very much feels as though we are the brink of eLCVs emerging as a major force in the light commercial vehicle market, so this seems like an opportune moment to provide our members with a detailed and informative overview of the sector.

“During the next year, some of the UK’s largest fleets will be adopting electric vans in relatively large numbers and, like cars, production of petrol and diesel models will end in 2030, so the electrification we are likely to see in the next few years will be relatively swift. Within a couple of years, they will be a vital part of remarketing activity.

“The line-up we have assembled for the event features some of the best-known and most well-informed e-LCV experts working in the UK today, who between them cover everything from expected residual values to nuts-and-bolts operational matters. We are sure it will be an informative hour.”

Previous VRA Focus On… webinars have covered motor auctions and vehicle reconditioning and have proved successful, said Nothard.

“Understandably, the webinars we have held over the last 18 months have largely been concerned with the effects of Covid on the remarketing sector but the Focus On… format has allowed us to move on a little and start to look at some of the areas that have perhaps been largely ignored while the pandemic took all of our attention.”

The webinars are likely to continue in the new year although the association is also looking to hold its first physical meetings since before coronavirus emerged.

“Given what we have all been through, that feels like a small but significant step towards some kind of return to normality,” stated Nothard.