“Electric van legislation finally catching up with operational reality”, says Logistics UK

Draft Statutory Instruments required to introduce regulatory flexibilities for zero-emission vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes, which Logistics UK has campaigned for, were laid before Parliament on 26 January.

As well as introducing the planned regulatory reform, the changes introduce the legal definition of a ‘zero-emission vehicle’ (ZE), which will mean a vehicle without an internal combustion engine, or with an internal combustion engine that has emissions of CO₂ of zero grams per kilometre.

It is hoped that the draft legislation will become law by March 2026.

Senior Policy Manager – Road Freight Regulation Chris Yarsley said: “The electric van legislation is finally catching up with operational reality and needs to be approved as quickly as possible.

“The current situation where standard size electric vans are treated as HGVs, in terms of MOT and driver hours requirements, is outdated and penalises logistics operators who are trying to clean up their fleets and help the UK meet its decarbonisation objectives.

“Electric vans are used for the same jobs as diesel and petrol vehicles, and it is only the extra weight from the batteries that moves them into the same category as HGVs.

“The new legislation removes this false equivalence and will speed up the adoption of cleaner vehicles as operators will not have the unnecessary expense and paperwork of complying with rules designed for much heavier lorries.

“As part of the Zero-Emission Van Plan coalition, Logistics UK has long been campaigning for full regulatory alignment between 4.25 tonne electric vans and 3.5 tonne diesel, and improved fiscal support for adopting electric vehicles.

“The draft legislation is a clear indication that the government is listening to the sector’s concerns, and it is now essential for the legislation to become law as a matter of urgency.”

More details here.