The Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) wants an official deferral for MOTs on 4.25-tonne electric vans because fleets are finding tests “impossible” to book.
For MOT test purposes, this category of vans is treated as an HGV and so they have to be tested at one year old rather than three. They also face a more rigorous examination.
Aaron Powell, fleet and logistics director at AFP member Speedy Hire, said it was struggling with the current rules and it was looking at taking a number of vehicles off the road.
“These 4.25-tonne vans require a Class 7 HGV MOT test and, between generally poor capacity for HGV testing and few test centres being able to handle electric vehicles, we’re finding it impossible on a practical level to book tests,” he said.
“Our lease provider has spent the last three months trying to find garages with the ability to carry out the pre-testing and source available slots for the test with limited success.
“This is going to have a serious impact on our business because we’re going to have to take these vans off the road and no doubt many other fleets are finding themselves in the same situation.”
Lorna McAtear, vice chair at the AFP, said: “As an organisation and at an individual member level, we’re very much focussed on safety and of course recognise the role that the MOT test plays in ensuring that vehicles operated by fleets are in a roadworthy condition.
“However, it’s questionable whether 4.25-tonne electric vans require HGV tests, an argument we have been making to government for some time.
“The whole point of this category of van when it was introduced in 2019 was to provide easy access for fleets to an electric equivalent of a 3.5-tonne panel van. These vehicles are simply 3.5-tonne vans with bigger batteries.
“The difficulties members are encountering around their inability to book MOT testing only emphasises this confusion.”
McAtear said it wanted to see a form of dispensation introduced, similar to that created during the pandemic, allowing fleets to defer tests for a period of either six or 12 months on this category of van for the first and second year of testing, giving them time to find and book testing facilities.
“The government is aware of this and is trying to resolve the situation through the current consultation because there remains widespread belief that the 4.25-tonne concept remains worth pursuing as a means of speeding up van electrification,” she added.
“However, this process is taking time.”
