Some manufacturers have seen falling electric van sales in the year to November 2022, despite plummeting diesel van sales, according to the latest research from New AutoMotive.
According to data from the company's latest Electric Van Count, while diesel van sales have plunged by 39% in the year, electric van sales have remained largely the same at around 9%, with some manufacturers seeing falling e-van sales during the year.
The research found that despite the growth in electrics overall share of the market, a number of manufacturers have experienced a reduction in the sales of their e-vans year-on-year. Maxus, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen all recorded reductions in electric registrations in the period.
Maxus saw the number of registrations of new electric vans fall from 414 in November 2021 to 132 in November 2022, whilst Mercedes Benz electric van registrations dropped from 321 to 132 in the same period.
Toyato also saw electric van registrations decline, down from 138 in November 2021 to 60 in November 2022, with Volkswagen also experiencing a depression in e-van registrations, falling from 81 to 29 in the period.
The Electric van Count found that Vauxhall, Ford and Peugeot lead the pack in electric van sales, delivering 66% of all new electric van sales in November.
Maxus was found to be the brand quickest to electrify, with 70% of all its registrations in November being electric, up from 44% this time last year. Peugeot and Vauxhall have also seen strong growth as they move to electrify their van sales.
However, the manufacturers with the largest slice of the overall van market are electrifying more slowly, the data found. Ford tops the list of van registrations this year, yet only 4% of its total registrations for November were electric.
Other high volume van manufacturers were also revealed as being low down the list. Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz saw a reduction in the electric share of their van sales, with Volkswagen registering just 1% of their vans as e-vans this month.
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The findings have prompted New Automotive to call for greater government support to help the sector transition to electric vans.
The transport research consultancy urged manufacturers to make greater progress in this category as the 2030 phase-out of diesel vehicles looms ever closer.
Ciara Cook, New Automotive research and policy officer, said: “November was another month of positive sales figures for electric vans, as more and more businesses continue to make the switch to electric.
"However, there were still over 10 times the number of diesel registrations than there were electric. Given this, it is essential that the government continues to work to accelerate the transition and reduce the number of polluting vehicles on UK roads.”
“Those wanting to buy an e-van in the UK are now able to choose the model that best suits their needs, with a broad range of models on the market to choose from. Many manufacturers offer a diverse range of e-vans, suitable for businesses of all types and sizes.
"Consumers benefit from the diversity of models on the market, and this diversity is helping to drive the growing popularity of electric vans. This popularity will only continue to grow as more models hit the market.
She added: "The government must support the continued growth of the electric van market. It is essential they act to ensure that targets set in the forthcoming ZEV Mandate reflect the current size of the market, and drive industry forward rather than simply acting as a backstop.
"The government should also clarify the support for businesses dealing with high electricity prices after April 2023, when the current support programme ends. Businesses which are doing the right thing and electrifying their fleets should be prioritised within any future support package.”
