New whitepaper explores barriers to van electrification for fleets

A new whitepaper launched by GREENFLEET, in partnership with Europcar, has highlighted the pressing challenges slowing the electrification of the UK’s van sector.
 
Titled Van Electrification: Understanding Barriers, Identifying Solutions, the whitepaper draws on survey data from GREENFLEET's readership of fleet operators to highlight the operational and regulatory issues preventing fleets from adopting zero-emission vans at scale.
 
Since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions from vans have surged by 63 per cent, according to research from Transport & Environment. To tackle this, the government has mandated the phase out of new petrol and diesel fuelled vans by 2035, and has put in place targets for vehicle manufacturers to sell a greater proportion of zero-emission vans each year.
 
Despite this, electric van uptake in 2024 remained static at 2023 levels (six per cent), and fell short of the ten per cent stated in the ZEV Mandate for that same year. The whitepaper seeks to understand why this is.
 
One of the biggest takeaways from the whitepaper is that range anxiety, high upfront costs and a lack of van-suitable public charging infrastructure remain the dominant barriers to fleets switching to electric vans.
 
Forty-five percent of fleet operators using electric vans reported that the ‘real-world range’ fell short of expectations once vehicles were fully loaded and in day-to-day operation. Similarly, 38% of fleets not yet using electric vans cited vehicle unsuitability as the main reason for not adopting them.
 
However, the whitepaper shows there are promising signs. GREENFLEET’s research found that 61% of surveyed fleets already have electric vans in operation, with company sustainability goals and environmental concerns as the main motivators. Successful case studies, including those from Speedy Hire and Beko Europe, illustrate that electric vans work well in sectors like logistics, home services, and urban delivery - allowing organisations to benefit from reduced emissions, running costs, driver satisfaction and improved reputation.
 
The white paper concludes with a series of policy and market recommendations to overcome the challenges faced by fleet operators when it comes to van electrification. Rental too is shown as an enabler to van electrification, eliminating the risk and allowing fleets to experience new drivetrain technology to see if it works in their environment.
 
"As the UK pushes towards its 2035 deadline to phase out new petrol and diesel van sales, the findings from this white paper reveals the barriers fleets are facing when it comes to van electrification, and highlights the practical and coordinated action needed across policy, infrastructure and industry, to speed up adoption," commented Angela Pisanu, Editor of GREENFLEET Magazine.

Download the whitepaper for free here.