Electric van sales surged in 2025, but as the UK misses key zero-emission targets, the focus is shifting from vehicle availability to the practicalities of power. For fleet operators, the real challenge lies in navigating a charging network built for cars while balancing depot capacity and tight commercial schedules. By Matt MacConnell.

Sales of electric vans are rising fast — but the infrastructure needed to keep them moving is still playing catch-up. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that registrations of electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) climbed by 36.2% in 2025, signalling growing confidence among operators looking to decarbonise their fleets. Yet despite that progress, the sector still fell short of the UK government’s mandated 16% market share target for zero-emission van sales under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.

For many fleet operators, the biggest question isn’t vehicle availability or even upfront cost — it’s how and where those vans will charge. While the UK’s public charging network continues to expand at pace, much of it has been designed with passenger cars in mind rather than commercial vehicles operating to tight schedules and high daily mileages. Depot charging, grid capacity, public rapid hubs and home charging solutions all play a role but integrating them into a workable fleet strategy remains a challenge.

As van operators look to scale up electrification over the next few years, charging infrastructure providers will play a critical role. From fleet-focused charging hubs and smarter energy management to charging-as-a-service models, new solutions are emerging to help businesses make the most of the available power.

So, is today’s charging infrastructure truly workable for electric van fleets — and what more needs to be done to turn growing interest in eLCVs into widespread adoption?

EV charger manufacturer Easee says the charging infrastructure available for electric van fleets today is broadly workable, although there is still progress to be made as adoption continues to grow. Easee told Van Fleet World that the charging network has expanded rapidly through transport corridors and urban hubs in recent years, exceeding the number of petrol pumps. However, that comparison does not tell the whole story, as vehicles remain connected for longer when charging, so continued investment and smart deployment of infrastructure will remain important as the market scales up.

“One of the biggest barriers for fleets considering electric vans is not always infrastructure itself, but confidence and understanding. Many businesses are still approaching electrification as an unknown. Charging infrastructure providers can help by simplifying the process, providing clearer guidance on depot design, vehicle charging behaviour and the most cost-effective ways to deploy charging at scale,” says Steven Frost, head of automotive at Easee.

“In practice, many depots assume they require high-power rapid charging, but most commercial vehicles spend long periods parked, often overnight, either at the depot or at a driver’s home. In those situations, well-planned AC charging at 7kW, 11kW or 22kW is often the most practical approach. It places less strain on the local grid connection, is more cost-effective to deploy and works well when vehicles are scheduled around shift patterns and overnight dwell time,” Frost adds.

Home charging is also a major opportunity for van fleets. When drivers charge vehicles overnight at home, it increases vehicle availability during the working day and can allow fleets to take advantage of lower overnight electricity tariffs. Accurate reimbursement is key to making this work smoothly. Chargers equipped with MID-compliant metering can precisely measure the electricity used for business charging, providing a legally approved basis for billing and enabling fleets to reimburse drivers automatically. That accuracy is important for building trust between drivers and employers while keeping energy costs transparent.

Nexus Rental, a vehicle and plant hire company, says the transition to eLCVs presents clear operational advantages, but has found fleets question whether the charging infrastructure can truly support daily, large-scale use.

There is a shortage of suitable LCV chargers nationwide, as many existing chargers are designed for cars rather than larger vans. This, paired with charging downtime, can hugely disrupt operations. Even for points with rapid chargers, having a vehicle off the road for 30-60 minutes can be incredibly costly and reduce efficiency. Infrastructure providers can help by prioritising simplicity and consistency. Fragmented payment systems remain problematic, with charging cards often limited to specific charge stations. Universal payment platforms, centralised apps and transparent access would significantly improve usability, while real-time available data and secure communication standards would increase trust, adds Nexus.

UK commercial fleet vehicle charging company Tual says the transition accelerates when fleets control their energy strategy, rather than waiting for the grid to catch up.

“For van fleets, the viable solutions today are depot-first strategies, battery-buffered fast charging for grid-limited sites, and infrastructure that can be installed rapidly without civil works becoming the critical path,” says founder and CEO Philip Clarke.

“In 2025, electric LCV sales rose by 36.2%, yet the 16% ZEV mandate share was still missed. That gap tells you something important. Infrastructure confidence has, and continues to be, the primary constraint.

“The current charging network is workable in pockets, but inconsistent at scale. Depot-based fleets with strong grid connections can move decisively. Those operating from urban depots, leased sites or constrained industrial estates face a different reality.

“We need to stop framing this as a charger-count problem. It is a power-availability problem. Vans are high-utilisation assets. If charging fails, utilisation falls. For fleets, that manifests itself entirely as operational risk.

“Charging infrastructure suppliers must therefore design for constraint. That means integrating storage, intelligent load management and deployable systems that work within existing connections. Reinforcement should be the exception, not the prerequisite,” adds Clarke.

As mentioned previously by Nexus Rental, constraints lie not just at the power level, but also in space. Many car parks are height-restricted, meaning taller vans can’t access charge points, and cables are often short and can’t reach van charge ports. Likewise, parking bays are designed with cars in mind, meaning long-wheelbase vehicles will struggle — and those with trailers have an even slimmer chance.

This said, commercial charging stations are beginning to pop up that offer more space for larger vans. For example, the Port of Tilbury Commercial EV Charging Hub in Essex, due to open this year, will feature 16 ultra-rapid 360kW chargers capable of charging multiple vehicles simultaneously. Then there’s the E-Veezy Ultra-Rapid Hub in Crawley, which has 27 high-power long-wheelbase bays with 200kW and 400kW chargers. This is a positive move forward for those based in the south, but what Scottish fleets? Being a resident in Scotland, I’ve noticed that charging infrastructure for cars has gone from bad to good in recent years — and the story continues with LCVS.

Opening in 2026 is the Fastned hub in Aberdeen. This will be the UK’s first indoor drive-through charging hub, featuring 12 ultra-rapid chargers with outputs of up to 400kW and an indoor warehouse with driver amenities.

Beyond the availability of chargers, several broader factors will shape how quickly electric van fleets scale in the coming years. Energy pricing is becoming increasingly important for larger operators, with electricity tariffs, demand charges and smart charging strategies playing a key role in keeping running costs predictable.

At the same time, regulatory pressure is set to increase as targets under the ZEV mandate rise throughout the decade and cities continue to expand clean air policies. Grid capacity also remains a structural challenge, with many depots facing long approval timelines and high costs when seeking higher-power connections from local distribution network operators.

To manage these complexities, fleets are increasingly turning to integrated telematics and energy platforms that can monitor vehicle usage, predict charging windows and optimise energy consumption across the fleet. Early adopters are often found in sectors such as parcel delivery and last-mile logistics, where predictable routes allow vehicles to return to depot charging overnight. In contrast, emerging technologies such as megawatt-level charging, mobile charging units and solar-plus-storage depots could further support the next phase of electrification.