Fleets planning EV switch

The FTA is urging the government to increase support for electrified vehicles after finding that the majority (71.4%) of van operators intend to use electric vehicles in their fleets this year.

Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban at FTA, said, ‘FTA and its members are fully committed to reducing their carbon emissions wherever possible; we are not surprised, therefore, that so many intend to use electric vehicles in their van fleets but they will need assistance from government to be able to do so.

‘By providing clear guidance on how it plans to upgrade the grid infrastructure – without all the costs falling on individual businesses – legislators would make the shift to electric an attractive option for companies of all sizes and shapes.

‘But more must be done to ensure it is a fully viable low-emission solution. For example, electric vans are still significantly more expensive to purchase than their standard fuel-based counterparts; public charging points must be available for use by businesses as well as residents. FTA is calling on government to review its approach to the grid infrastructure upgrade – a costly project which should not be left to individual commercial operators to fund.”

FTA polled the opinions of more than 500 freight and logistics businesses operating in the UK and internationally to provide industry insight into the latest political and economic developments. The survey found a further 24% of van operators plan to use range-extended vehicles in their fleet, 41% plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and seven per cent vehicles fuelled by hydrogen.

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