The Spring Budget has left van fleets looking to go electric with more questions than answers, according to the Zero Emission Van Plan Coalition.

The van sector remains behind on decarbonisation

The coalition – fronted by the BVRLA and including Logistics UK, Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and The EV Café – had called for a range of measures to help “an LCV market that is limping towards its decarbonisation targets”.

Following a lack of any concrete action to support operators in making the move, it’s warned that van drivers are being left behind on decarbonisation – risking the UK’s net zero target.

Latest registration data shows that zero-emission vans accounted for just 4.9% of the market so far in 2024. That’s down on 2023 figures and less than halfway to the annual 10% target stipulated in the ZEV mandate.

A spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan said: “The Chancellor is ignoring the fact that the van sector needs urgent support to adopt zero-emission vehicles. Vans account for about a fifth of the miles driven in the UK every year, the vast majority of which are driven by polluting models. While there were some positive moves to support van operators today, the van sector remains behind on decarbonisation.

“Cost is a major barrier to adoption. The discrepancy between affordability of EVs vs diesel equivalents is prohibitive. The Zero Emission Van Plan is clear in how that gap can be closed. The Chancellor missed a golden opportunity to act. Increased fiscal support via extending the Plug-in Van Grant, or introducing new measures, are essential. We will continue to push for such changes until tangible progress is made.”

Those working in the fleet sector are being encouraged to support the plan and share its recommendations. A simple online tool allows individuals to quickly send the plan to their local MP to raise awareness, while fleet operators can also complete a very short online poll to strengthen the data the coalition is putting to decision-makers.

The full Zero Emission Van Plan can be viewed online now: https://www.bvrla.co.uk/industry-campaigns/decarbonisation/van-plan.html