HGV fleets parked up over phasing out diesel, BVRLA report warns

Dangerous gaps have appeared in the fleet market’s road to zero, with some sectors accelerating towards the petrol and diesel phase-out and others stuck at a red signal, the BVRLA is warning.

The latest BVRLA Road to Zero Report Card, compiled by sustainability consultants Ricardo, assesses the decarbonisation trajectories of the UK’s car, van and truck fleets, measuring their progress against the criteria of battery electric vehicle supply, demand and infrastructure.

Launching the report, BVRLA said it shows a very mixed picture with the progress of car fleets “mostly encouraging” with most fleet car segments found to be embracing BEVs with enthusiasm, driven by a favourable tax regime, a raft of new models and significant growth in the charging network, according to the report.

However it notes that vans are lagging behind. It states: “The van fleet sector is a different story. BEV infrastructure, supply and demand all get an ‘amber-brakes-on’ assessment.

“This reflects growing concerns about a shortage of suitable electric vans for many key use cases, issues with public charging infrastructure and insufficient government support in the form of grants and tax incentives.”

Worse still is the outlook for the HGV fleet sector, the report reveals. It states: “With the government poised to issue a 2035-2040 phase-out deadline, the sector receives a blanket ‘red – parked’ rating.

“There is precious little momentum in this fleet segment, with no phase-out delivery plan, no technology roadmap, no mainstream vehicles and no charging infrastructure,” the report concludes.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, said: “Every fleet is on the ‘road to zero’, but the task ahead is easier for some than others. There are ‘sweet spots’ where the tax incentives, total cost of ownership and typical journey patterns make going zero emission an attractive choice.

“Elsewhere, progress is much slower as fleets grapple with a shortage of appropriate vehicles and eye-watering charging infrastructure costs.”