Van operators fear lack of charging points

Van operators say they are putting off switching to electric LCVs because of concerns over access to public charging points.
A lot of the infrastructure has been designed with cars in mind and this worries van fleet operators, according to research by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)

More than half of van owners say they are discouraged from switching to an electric van due to a lack of chargepoint infrastructure, according to new research published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). An SMMT survey by Savanta ComRes found that 57% of people who own or lease a van in the UK are worried that they wouldn’t be able to find a public charging point when they need it.¹

Persuading van drivers to switch to zero emission vehicles is essential if Britain is to become Net Zero while keeping the nation on the move. Vans directly support around one in 10 workers in Britain, acting as the essential workhorse for sectors such as construction and industry, trades such as plumbers, landscapers and cleaners, and home delivery services which grew rapidly during the pandemic.² With more than four million vans on the road, electrifying the fleet will substantially reduce the UK’s transport-related carbon emissions, while also delivering cleaner air in cities. Those who switch can enjoy lower running costs, promote their environmental credentials and demonstrate sustainability when bidding for work.

More than a third of all new van models now on sale come with a plug following billions of pounds of investment by manufacturers, investment which has delivered massively improved payloads and battery range, with van owners spoilt for choice.³ Indeed, confidence in this range is high, with just 20% saying there isn’t enough variety of models to meet their needs. At the Commercial Vehicle Show, which opens today at the NEC in Birmingham, around 10,000 visitors will have the opportunity to discover the latest electric vans, alongside electric trucks, trailers and a vast variety of commercial vehicle technology.

Despite electric van uptake doubling in the last year, these vehicles still account for just one in 20 new van registrations – meaning the market is currently about two years behind that of cars, where uptake of zero emission cars is closer to one in five.⁴ With vans facing the same 2035 end of sale date for non-zero emission vehicles as cars, however, the automotive sector is calling on all stakeholders to match its commitment to drive the electric transition.

While just one in eight owners say they don’t plan to ever switch to an electric van, the vast majority (88%) say they would go electric by 2035 but a fifth of these owners say they will defer the decision for three to seven years. Overcoming this reticence is critical, therefore, with many people (58%) suggesting they might be convinced to buy an EV sooner if there was a greater number of public charging points. The availability of government incentives such as reduced tax or grants towards purchase would also steer 57% of respondents towards a zero emission van.

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