New driving licence rules for EVs due in June
Fleet managers have been advised that new driving licence rules for heavy electric vans will come into force on 10 June.
The new rules will enable category B licence holders to drive zero emission vehicles up 4.25 tonnes.
The additional five-hour training requirement for drivers is also being abolished while drivers will also be permitted to tow a trailer, as long as the combined weight of vehicle and trailer is under seven tonnes.
Toby Poston, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), said: “Out-of-date regulations are hampering the transition to a cleaner, greener van fleet, so we welcome any modernisation to reflect the profiles of today’s vehicles.
“These changes are long overdue and leave a couple of other urgent updates waiting in the wings. The BVRLA, in coalition with its Zero Emission Van Plan partners, continues to call for this red tape to be eliminated.
“Regulatory barriers remain a key blocker for van fleet decarbonisation, alongside the lack of fiscal support and concerns over charging. Government knows the levers that need to be pulled and we are optimistic that [these] changes mark the start of more progress to come.”
