Uptake of electric vans stalls on familiar issues
Uptake of electric vans is expected to remain almost flat for three years, according to the 2026 Arval Fleet and Mobility Observatory Barometer.
It found that light commercial vehicle operators predict that 16% of their fleets will be electric within three years.
This is up just two per cent on when the same question was asked last year and only a one per cent higher than in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Arval Fleet and Mobility Observatory Barometer found that petrol and diesel vehicle numbers will continue to grow at 74%.
John Peters, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “Fleet difficulties in moving away from traditional, internal combustion engined vans are underlined by the responses to this question.
“They show electrification of LCV operations remains a significant issue. The forecasted percentage penetration is almost flat over the last three years while the ZEV Mandate target for new electric vans sales is 58% in 2029. There is clearly a quite dramatic mismatch between government and fleet operator expectations.”
He continued: “It is widely recognised that fleets face significant challenges when it comes to electric van adoption in areas including range, payload, and charging. These issues cause sometimes significant operational difficulties, so the doubts expressed by our respondents and preference for long-established fuels are understandable.”
