Challenges with electric van charging and payloads is prompting some operators to return to established emissions reduction strategies, the Association of Fleet Professionals has reported.

An increasing number of AFP members are working to slash CO2 in existing diesel vehicles, rather than adopting more EVs

An increasing number of AFP members are working to slash CO2 in their existing diesel vehicles to meet corporate ESG targets, rather than adopt more electric vehicles.

Paul Hollick, chair of the industry body, explained: “Many of our members who were committed to electric van adoption as soon as supply was available have slowed or even put a temporary halt on the rate of acquisition. They are hitting a range of operational issues – range, payload, charging infrastructure and more – which means replacing existing diesel vehicles directly with electric equivalents is not yet practical.

“This doesn’t mean that they are intending to resist electrification but that more work needs to be done in all kinds of areas including domestic and public charging, changes in operational practices and improvements in the vehicles themselves.”

In the face of such barriers, fleets are returning to tried-and-tested emissions reductions approaches.

“There is a renewed interest in areas such as utilisation analysis, driver training and idling reduction, all of which can help to cut CO2, NOx and other emissions,” Hollick continued. “Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to be just a case of returning to the ‘old school’, with new products designed to help fleet managers in this area continuing to make their way to market.”

Earlier this week, Northgate also advised operators to explore reducing their CO2 emissions by improving the utilisation of their LCVs and drivers. Under its Drive to Zero programme, it’s identified multiple fleets where the move from diesel to EVs will take several years – and the company is advising such businesses should still explore how to optimise operations and driver behaviour as part of an overall CO2 emission reduction process.

Northgate’s recommendations include installing telematics to track vehicle journeys/utilisation and driver behaviour, rightsizing vehicles and exploring driver training and fuel cards.

The AFP has also called for more research into whether synthetic fuels have a role for commercial fleets.

Carbon-neutral e-fuels have hit the headlines this year after the European Commission agreed to exempt them from the 2035 ban on new sales of combustion-engine cars. In the UK, industry body Logistics UK has called for a long-term plan from government for utilising low carbon fuels across transport modes as it warns that battery technology is not widely available in every type of logistics vehicle at present. And MPs on the Transport Committee recently spotlighted the benefits of synthetic fuels and biofuels as a ‘halfway house’ to EVs in their Fuelling the Future report, but the Government has since reiterated that electrification is broadly seen as the most efficient approach to decarbonising cars and vans”.

The AFP has also called for concerted action on making hydrogen a practical alternative to electrification for vans – currently an area of frustration for some of its members.

Paul Hollick continued: “In other European countries, there is considerable public and private investment underway in creating a hydrogen transport infrastructure but in the UK, it barely exists. This means that the hydrogen vans that are entering production globally are unlikely to make their way here in anything other than very small numbers.

“Many fleet operators believe a mix of hydrogen and electric power would be ideal for the van fleets of the future, and it does feel as though this is a potential solution that is being effectively denied for no good reason.”