Venson backing call for electric van MOT deferral

A call to defer MOTs for 4.25-tonne electric vans, citing a lack of test availability, has been backed by Venson Automotive Solutions.

The Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) made the plea after it found some fleets are finding tests impossible to book.    

For MOT test purposes, this special category of vans is treated as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), meaning that it has to be tested after one year rather than three, and also faces a more rigorous examination.

A freedom of information request, sent to the DVSA by Venson in 2024, revealed that only 2% of DVSA test centres can conduct MOTs on 4.25 tonne electric vehicles (EVs).

There were only 563 Authorised Test Facilities (ATFs) and five DVSA Goods Vehicle Test Stations (GVTSs) which can carry out MOT tests for electric vans weighing more than 3.5t, as of May 1, 2024. 

This compared to 23,000 test centres in the UK, representing just 2% of test centres.

Additionally, Venson says that there is a severe lack of visibility of the key data needed for Government to effectively plan for the MOTs of these vehicles, highlighting a critical gap in infrastructure readiness.

Lee O’Neill, operations director at Venson Automotive Solutions said: “As well as highlighting a lack of test centres, the DVSA holds no data on historic and current lead times on MOTs for electric vans weighing 3.5 tonnes or above or how many have had an MOT already carried out. According to the DVSA, this data is only held by the Authorised Test Facilities (ATF).”

Regulations related to annual vehicle testing, drivers’ hours and tachographs and speed limiter devices for this weight category of electric vans are set to be defined, following a Government consultation that was launched on Christmas eve.   

The consultation ‘Zero emission vans: regulatory flexibility’ seeks to reduce the barriers to electric van adoption by defining the regulations for vehicles that fall within the 4.25-tonne derogation.

“With results of the Government consultation not due until (after) March 3, fleets with 4.25 tonne electric vans are really beginning to struggle,” continued O’Neill. 

“With no DVSA data existing on MOTs for these vehicles, and an obvious lack of testing facilities, how did Government ever expect to plan for scheduled testing? 

“Let’s hope the AFP’s call for special dispensation allowing fleets to defer testing, is successful to avoid those businesses, supporting UK environmental targets by going electric, from suffering commercially.”