Clean Van Commitment relaunches under Energy Saving Trust

The Clean Van Commitment (CVC) is a public pledge for fleet operators to speed up the switch to zero tailpipe emission vans and set an example for sustainable leadership.  

It was launched by Global Action Plan in 2018, but now is being lead by the Energy Saving Trust.

The Energy Saving Trust will be offering support to companies who commit to switching their petrol and diesel vans to electric by 2027 for those that are 3.5 tons and under, and by 2032 for those that are over 3.5 tons.  

Vans contribute 36% of the UK’s road transport nitrous oxide emissions, and the transition to zero emission vans will require cooperation between fleet operators, government, manufacturers and the energy industry. By making a Clean Van Commitment pledge, companies can showcase their dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing local air and noise pollution while collectively showing the market demand for zero emission fleets.  

Vans remain the most popular class of commercial vehicle and are one of the fastest growing vehicle registration types in the UK. Switching the UK’s 4.5 million petrol and diesel vans to electric should be a priority for fleets over the coming years.   

Nearly 9,000 battery electric vans were registered in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 55.7%. Yet currently, only 1 in 18 van registrations are categorised as an EV as opposed to 1 in 9 passenger car registrations.  

Free support that CVC signatories will receive includes exclusive masterclasses tailored to their specific challenges; knowledge sharing user forums; and newsletters highlighting industry news, case studies and resources.

Launched by Global Action Plan in 2018, the CVC had over 50 signatories, including some of UK’s largest fleet operators, including Yorkshire Water and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. The CVC is supported by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and the Department for Transport (DfT).