Problems with range and payload slow van fleet electrification

The rate of electrification of van fleets is slowing due to concerns over range, payload and charging infrastructure, according to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

Instead, the trade body says that van fleet operators are returning to more established strategies designed to reduce emissions.

AFP chair Paul Hollick said it had found an increasing number of fleets are working to reduce CO2 in their existing diesel vans rather than adopt more electric vehicles (EVs).

He explained: “There has been a general assumption among van fleets in recent years that the arrival of EVs would mean a decisive move towards meeting corporate ESG (environment, social, governance) targets in the medium-long term but, for many, it has become clear that electrification is just not going to happen at the expected speed, so they are returning to established strategies.

“There is a renewed interest in areas such as utilisation analysis, driver training and idling reduction, all of which can help to cut CO2, NOx and other emissions.”

Interestingly, says Hollick, this does not appear to be just a case of returning to the ‘old school’, with new products designed to help fleet managers in this area continuing to make their way to market.

Hollick continued: “Many of our members who were committed to electric van adoption as soon as supply was available have slowed or even put a temporary halt on the rate of acquisition.

“They are hitting a range of operational issues – range, payload, charging infrastructure and more – that means replacing existing diesel vehicles directly with electric equivalents is not yet practical.

“This doesn’t mean that they are intending to resist electrification but that more work needs to be done in all kinds of areas including domestic and public charging, changes in operational practices and improvements in the vehicles themselves.”

An area of frustration for some AFP members is the lack of action being taken when it came to making hydrogen a practical alternative to electrification for vans.

“In other European countries, there is considerable public and private investment underway in creating a hydrogen transport infrastructure but in the UK, it barely exists,” he said.

“This means that the hydrogen vans that are entering production globally are unlikely to make their way here in anything other than very small numbers.”

Many fleet operators believe a mix of hydrogen and electric power would be ideal for the van fleets of the future, and Hollick argues that it feels as though this is a potential solution that is being effectively denied for no good reason.

“There may also be a role for synthetic fuels and this is something that needs further investigation,” he added.

The latest sales data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that despite overall growth, demand for battery electric vans (BEVs) fell by 11.9% in June.

Some 1,775 fully electric vans were registered, even with a growing number of models coming on to the market.

It brings the total of all electric vans registered so far this year to 8,803 units, a year-on-year increase of 703 but a market share decline to 5.2% in the year-to-date.