Electric van purchase prices, battery range, payload and charging access remain major hurdles to eLCV adoption.

More than half of current non-electric van drivers said they have plans to switch to eLCVs

A study by Europcar Vans & Trucks found more than half (52%) of current non-electric van drivers said they have plans to switch but there are still some significant barriers.

The main hurdle standing in the way of would-be electric van users was the availability of charging points (29%), followed by purchase costs (27%) and insurance costs (25%). A quarter said having to stop to charge was a deterrent because of the impact on productivity.

The research also surveyed drivers using vans for work to discover what would help them make the switch. Lower purchase prices came out top for 38% of respondents while 31% cited better battery range to accommodate vehicle payload.

Tom Middleditch, head of electric mobility at Europcar, said: “The barriers holding back van users remain clear – cost and charging. Of course charging infrastructure is improving, but as the Zero Emission Van Plan has already identified, charging that is fit for purpose for van users is still limited.”

Middleditch said the key now was to get more van users trying out the electric van experience to really understand what adjustments need to be made to ensure there’s little impact on performance and productivity.

He also outlined that renting electric vans could overcome concerns about purchase cost as well as residual values.

“Renting provides access to the latest EV technology with virtually no commitment; there’s no worry about maintenance either and we’re expanding the Europcar electric van fleet to give businesses more choice, whether for a few weeks or longer term.”

Electric van rental also helps businesses to work out how to make zero emissions a reality and lower their environmental impact – a business-critical move for those organisations that regularly go in and out of the Clean Air Zones, Zero Emissions Zones and the London Ultra Low Emissions Zone.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of van drivers surveyed said they are affected by the growing number of Clean Air Zones across the UK. However, there is a clear lack of knowledge surrounding the zones, with 38% admitting they are not confident they understand the rules – potentially leading to unexpected fines for non-compliant vehicles.

Middleditch added: “Winning the hearts and minds of drivers who will need to adapt to electric van usage is critical and our goal is to make electric commercial motoring more accessible for more businesses by providing a choice of electric vans that can serve multiple use cases.”