Large van fleets woefully short of ZEV Mandate targets
Large van fleets will fall woefully short of ZEV Mandate targets without urgent government support.
Bedeo, a UK-based pioneer in large van electrification and retrofit technology, has written an open letter to government urging immediate incentives to kick-start the switch to electrification.
Its figures found that the percentage of electrified large vans over 3.5t has fallen since 2023 and warns that even the greenest fleets will struggle to achieve 50% zero emission by 2030 – which is well below the 70% mandated.
Osman Boyner, founder and CEO, said: “Electric vans just don’t have the same payload as diesel – it’s not even close. Fleet managers tell us they’re ready to convert 60% to 70% of diesel vans – but not until cost and performance improve.”
Bedeo has outlined three immediate policy changes required to support adoption of retrofit and hybrid electrification:
- Grant scheme inclusion: Range Extender technologies should be eligible for inclusion in grant programmes to reflect their critical role in transitioning fleets.
- Licence weight tolerance adjustments: amendments to include Range Extender vehicles in the B licence 4.25t weight limit, currently granted only to fully electric, fuel cell or hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- Formal recognition in decarbonisation policy: Retrofit Range Extender solutions must be acknowledged in official pathways to net-zero as viable, scalable, and urgently needed transitional technology.
Boyner said:
“The logistics industry is the backbone of the UK economy but LCVs are the single largest contributor to logistics-related emissions, responsible for 40% per cent. If the UK wants to lead on decarbonisation, we need pragmatic and scalable solutions now – and retrofit is one of the most impactful tools we have to reduce emissions without delay or disruption.”
