The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is urging the Government to boost investment in the commercial vehicle charging infrastructure or risk stalling electric van adoption further.
The major concern is for electric heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and the kind of charging facilities needed at depots to help fleets make the switch to electric, but the SMMT said this will also have a knock-on effect for the electric van market too, as many businesses will use depot charging for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) too.
The SMMT said fleets looking at the full benefits of going electric requires affordable energy, access to depot charging and access to charging facilities suitable for larger vehicles across the UK’s strategic road network.
It said companies face wait times of up 15 years for the necessary grid connections and this is now the biggest barrier to EV adoption.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “We cannot deliver net zero and improve air quality without decarbonising commercial vehicles.
“But if operators have to wait up to 15 years just to be able to plug them into their depots, there is no case for investment.
“Prioritising grid connections, alongside reform to planning and action on energy costs, would reduce barriers to adoption, ensuring commercial vehicles continue to carry the loads that keep our economy on the move whilst doing the heavy lifting the nation needs to reach net zero.”
Vehicle manufacturer investment means operators can now choose from 35 zero emission van models on the market in the UK.
Uptake, however, remains significantly behind ambition with the ZEV mandate requiring 16% of new van sales to be ZEVs in 2025.
Currently, electric van registrations are running at little more than half that (8.3%) with around 167,000 more expected to reach the road over the next three years – which would see the market reach 25% ZEV by the end of 2027, below the mandate target of 34%.
While grants for plug-in vans and trucks and government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme continue to incentivise the zero emission commercial vehicle transition, the SMMT said action is needed now to remove administrative gridlock to investment.
The Government recently announced that it will fast-track grid connections for data centres, wind farms and solar power installations.
The SMMT said this preferential treatment, as well as consistent and efficient implementation of local planning policy, must also be afforded transport depots if the UK’s net zero and air quality improvement ambitions are to be realised.