Electric van deliveries increased by 12.4% in January

Data by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) show that although the light commercial vehicle market declined throughout January, electric van registrations increased by 12.4 per cent.

This is the fourth month in a row that battery electric vans (BEVs) up to 4.25 tonnes rose, this month to 1,464 units, as facilitated by the Plug-in Van Grant. BEV vans took up a market share of 7.6 per cent, with further growth anticipated across the year. Recent data suggests that BEV volumes (to 3.5 tonnes) will reach 33,000 in 2025 to take up a 10.6 per cent share of registrations.

Despite the continuous uptick in BEVs, figures expect that BEV usage will fall 16 per cent mandated. The market is also suspected to shrink further, by -1.2 per cent to 348,000 units.

Manufacturers have invested hugely in EV transition, with more than half of all van models on the UK market available as zero emission models, giving operators plenty of choice.

However, despite the positive news, more vigorous government intervention should as an ambition financial and inftrascture strategy that includes faster rollout of EV chargepoints, is needed should the UK want to meet the ZEV mandate and convince operators to make the switch to greener fleets.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “The van market has enjoyed a bullish performance over the past two years but, amid a tough economic development, businesses are under pressure. It means action is needed to drive fleet renewal and back the industry which has invested massively to produce new EV models. The mandate review must, therefore, deliver workable regulation that reflects market realities, and ensure infrastructure rollout that makes feel decarbonisation a commercially viable, compelling proposition.”