Nearly three out of four (71.4%) of van operators intend to deploy electric vehicles on their fleets this year, putting increased pressure on the Government to take action on charging and EV incentives.

The majority (71.4%) of van operators intend to deploy electric vehicles on their fleets this year

The research comes from the FTA’s 2019 Logistics Report, which polled the opinions of more than 500 freight and logistics businesses operating in the UK.

Alongside the large number of fleets looking to deploy EVs, the survey found a further 24% of van operators plan to use range-extended vehicles in their fleet, 41% plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and 7% fuel cell electric vehicles.

In response, Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban at FTA, has urged the Government to take action.

She commented: “FTA and its members are fully committed to reducing their carbon emissions wherever possible; we are not surprised, therefore, that so many intend to use electric vehicles in their van fleets but they will need assistance from government to be able to do so. By providing clear guidance on how it plans to upgrade the grid infrastructure – without all the costs falling on individual businesses – legislators would make the shift to electric an attractive option for companies of all sizes and shapes.

“But more must be done to ensure it is a fully viable low-emission solution. For example, electric vans are still significantly more expensive to purchase than their standard fuel-based counterparts; public charging points must be available for use by businesses as well as residents. FTA is calling on government to review its approach to the grid infrastructure upgrade – a costly project which should not be left to individual commercial operators to fund.”

The FTA also urged the Government to recognise the importance of the transport & logistics industry, including van drivers and the current sector shortage.

Beedell continued: “As testament to the value it provides to the UK economy, the vans market continues to grow consistently, with 13% of survey respondents planning to increase their van fleet over the next 12 months. But the UK is facing a serious van driver shortage; these fears are exacerbated by the large proportion of EU nationals currently working across the vans market in the UK. The survey found that 20% of all professional van drivers are EU nationals, but as this does not include people for whom van driving not their primary role – plumbers and florists, for example – the figure is likely to be much higher. FTA is calling for government support to ensure non-UK logistics workers are welcomed in the UK, both before and after Brexit, to prevent the shortage reaching catastrophic levels.”