57% of van owners anxious about going electric

Industry is calling for a chargepoint ‘van plan’ to switch owners to electric, after new research shows the majority of van owners are anxious about making the switch over fears they won’t be able to find chargepoints.

More than a third of all new van models are now available with a plug, but only one in 20 buyers have switched to a battery powered vehicle in 2022, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The electric van market is currently about two years behind that of cars, with uptake of electric cars closer to one in five.

With more than four million vans on the road, electrifying the fleet will substantially reduce the UK’s transport-related carbon emissions, while also helping to deliver cleaner air in cities.

While just one in eight owners say they don’t plan to ever switch to an electric van, the vast majority (88%) say they would go electric by 2035, but a fifth of these owners say they will defer the decision for three to seven years.

Many people (58%) suggesting they might be convinced to buy an EV sooner if there was a greater number of public charging points. The availability of government incentives such as reduced tax or grants towards purchase would also steer 57% of respondents towards a zero-emission van.

Mike Hawes SMMT Chief Executive said: ‘Britain’s businesses run on vans and if we’re to deliver the nation’s carbon emission cuts, we need them to move to electric.

‘There’s an electric van to suit every business case, but we need a ‘van plan’ to ensure zero-emission driving works for the millions of people for whom their van is their livelihood and the millions more who rely on these workhorses for the delivery of their daily needs. The automotive industry is getting these new technology vehicles into the showrooms – we need government and other stakeholders to match our commitments to get them out on the road.’

Photo by Markus Winkler