AFP manifesto urges government to resolve electric van issues

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has revised its Tax and Regulation Manifesto ahead of the General Election.

The first edition of the document was created in 2021 and this latest version has grown to 24 points from the original 13.

AFP Chair Paul Hollick explained that the majority of the points added to the new edition of the document focussed on current issues experienced around van electrification.
 
New additions include resolving ongoing confusion over regulations surrounding 4.25 tonne electric vans, new benefit in kind taxation tables up to 2030, the removal of plans to introduce Vehicle Excise Duty on electric vans from April 2025, the need for fiscal support to make electric cars and vans more attractive in the used market, a better labelling scheme explaining the range of electric vans in different weather conditions and with different loads, and improvements to the charging infrastructure including regulatory and fiscal support for accessible, affordable and fit-for-purpose charge points.
 
Paul Hollick said: “Since the pandemic, the problems that fleets are facing seem to have multiplied, largely as we grapple with the implications of electrification and other zero emissions initiatives. Within our Future Mobility Committee and across our membership, we have been discussing the kind of help we would like to see from government and it is fortuitous that we are publishing this Manifesto just as the general election gets underway.
 
“Whoever wins power, we hope to work with them to help resolve these many issues, and the document represents the AFP’s core thinking about what needs to be done. It is designed to focus on practical ideas, ranging from quite small detail alterations to major strategic shifts, around which we believe that change or definition is required to enable businesses to move forward with their fleet and mobility plans faster and more effectively.”
 
“One of the undeniable facts in fleet over the last few years is that van electrification is proving much, much more difficult than for cars. We are now in the situation where the majority of new cars being added to fleets are electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrids, a percentage that we very much expect to climb over the next few years in a steady and predictable manner towards the 2035 production deadline.
 
“The same is just not happening for vans. There are issues over the capabilities of the vehicles themselves that make their operational viability for some fleets open to question, while availability of charging is also an ongoing issue for many. In the company car sector, adoption has been powered by preferential benefit in kind taxation, and some kind of government support is needed to really get the electric van market moving in the same manner.”
 
The 24 points in the Tax and Regulation Manifesto are:
 
1.       More support for electric vans
2.       Confusion over regulations surrounding 4.25 tonne electric vans to be resolved.
3.       Scrap plans to introduce Vehicle Excise Duty for electric vans
4.       Better labelling for electric vehicles (EVs)
5.       Support for used EV Sales
6.       A national kerbside charging strategy is essential
7.       Community charging projects
8.       Chargepoint regulation
9.       Move public charging VAT to 5%, in line with home charging.
10.     Easy access to get charge points fitted
11.     VAT should be removed from home charger installation costs
12.     Review of the AER
13.     Actual cost definition for electric vehicle charging reimbursements
14.     Clear signposting of EV initiatives is required
15.     Benefit in kind tax tables to 2030
16.     Clean Air Zones should be co-ordinated nationally
17.     Tax breaks are needed for employees taking a mobility solution...
18.     ...for shared and low carbon mobility..
19.     ... and for hydrogen
20.     Parking costs should be linked to shared mobility and public transport solutions
21.     Inner city parking needs to be improved
22.     The “available to use” rule needs updating
23.     A clear definition of occasional private use is required for cars
24.     Road tolling strategy needs to be clearly signposted