Venson calls for urgent revisions to EV Mandate

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate became law in early 2024, setting out annual targets for a growing percentage of new cars and vans to be electric. However, as Labour prepares for its first Autumn budget, Venson Automotive Solutions is urging government to take decisive action against unachievable targets and restrictive regulations to relieve the burden for the commercial fleet sector.

“Although the ZEV Mandate states lower quotas for vans than for cars, it doesn’t take into account the pace at which e-vans can will be taken into fleets,” explained Simon Staton, Client Management Director at Venson. “The challenge for fleet operators is that the e-vans currently available do not always meet business requirements. For example, the payload, mileage and charging infrastructure mean that e-vans can’t always meet the operational requirements of a business. Forcing a premature e-van transition would require a lot of planning and negotiation within a business, and sometimes unions, to change operational ways of working.”

Regulations have added further complications and slowed down take up of large e-vans. An issue raised in the 2020 Venson white paper, Operating Commercial Vehicles Beyond 3.5t, remains true today: due to the weight of EV batteries, larger e-vans are subject to multiple rules and regulations originally intended for the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) sector. These rules limit speed and driving hours, severely impacting efficiency.

Industry bodies have repeatedly asked for clarification on whether heavier e-vans require a tachograph and 60mph speed limiter, whether driver hour rules apply, and which drivers require a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualification. There has been some movement, but there is still a long way to go. For example, most professional drivers who passed their driving test after 1 January 1997 used to need 35 hours of additional training to drive alternate fuel vehicles over 3.5t. Since 2019, an exemption has been in place – the fabled Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Derogation has enabled those with a Category B passenger car licence to drive 4.25t e-vans after taking a reduced amount of additional training, just five hours.

Simon Staton concludes: “With the right vehicles, right pricing and a clear, workable strategy from the government that addresses the regulatory aspects of managing a commercial fleet, the UK e-van market could improve in the medium to long term. Overall, right now, however there’s no hiding the fact that the picture is far from rosy.”