Minister urged to act on Zero Emission Van Plan solutions

The session explored the barriers being faced by van operators looking to adopt cleaner vehicles and outlined where the minister and his department can introduce positive changes.

The key objectives of the meeting were to encourage the Minister to:

- Understand the barriers to greater zero emission van adoption

- Have a deeper understanding of the solutions presented within the Zero Emission Van Plan

- Flag the need for there to be a focus on van needs in DfT policy.

Department for Transport colleagues were receptive to the comments made by the Van Plan participants and appreciated the sector coming together on the issue. The coalition partners include the BVRLA, Logistics UK, Recharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and The EV Café.

They were joined by industry representatives from Dawsongroup Vans, Speedy Services, DPD Group UK, Curzon Consulting and the AA.

Topics covered in the discussion included a market update, support for SMEs, the importance of the Plug-in Van Grant, charging solutions for e-vans, and the concerns that 4.25t ZEV vans should be regulated as vans and not HGVs as set out by the current terms.

Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director of Policy, who attended on behalf of Logistics UK said: “Our members are committed to making the transition to zero emission vans. The roundtable was a timely opportunity to engage with government and present a range of solutions to the challenges being faced by van fleet operators in meeting decarbonisation deadlines”.

This is the latest engagement as part of an ongoing programme to discuss the contents of the Plan with decision makers across government. Positive meetings have already taken place with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), where the team is actively exploring solutions to some of the problems highlighted by the coalition.

Published On: 04/04/2024 15:20:00

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