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Operators are being urged to use electric vans to break the “chicken-and-egg” problem of HGV fleets needing confidence in charging infrastructure and network firms needing utilisation to make commercial sense.
Charging firm Voltempo said tracking analysis predicted electric trucks would reach TCO parity with diesel in Europe around 2030, potentially triggering a tipping point that resulted in a rapid surge in adoption and leaving infrastructure firms playing catch-up.
But it said electric vans could bridge the gap, because the demand already existed in the UK.
SMMT figures showed year-to-date registrations of electric vans currently stands at 22,527, a 26.2% increase on the same period last year. Electric van registrations increased by 25.9% in August.
Voltempo said that for fleets whose drivers do not have access to off-street parking and home charging, cost-competitive charging at truck depots provided an alternative to home and public charging.
It argued that vans could provide the utilisation and revenue needed to strengthen the commercial case for eHGV charging infrastructure before electric truck volumes reach scale.
Simon Smith, CEO of Voltempo, said: “For fleet operators and infrastructure investors, the challenge has always been the same. Operators need confidence in charging before deploying electric trucks at scale, while infrastructure needs enough utilisation to make the investment work commercially.
“Electric vans can help us break that cycle,” he said.
“They provide genuine charging demand today, while smarter energy management allows us to optimise when vehicles charge, access lower-cost electricity and reduce pressure on the grid.
“That means we can build truck-ready infrastructure ahead of mass adoption and make it commercially viable from day one. As electric truck volumes grow, the charging capability is already there rather than trying to catch up with demand.”
Smith added: “Carbon Tracker’s analysis reinforces why that matters. If the economics of electric trucks tip decisively in their favour around 2030, adoption could move very quickly.
“We need to be building the infrastructure ahead of that curve, not after it.”
The SMMT described the latest eVan registration figures as a strong performance, but added that the month’s typically low overall volumes could distort shifts in percentages and the numbers were still significantly adrift of mandated targets.
