Nearly one in ten new vans registered in June this year were fully electric – double the number of electric vans registered in June 2021, according to a recently launched tracker from transport research specialists NewAutomotive.

The Electric Van Count (EVC) tracks the transition of vans from diesel to electric in the UK and analyses industry progress in meeting government plans to phase out sales of diesel and petrol vans from 2030 and hybrids from 2035.

June’s Electric Van Count shows nearly one in ten (8%) of all new vans registered were fully electric, having doubled from the vans registered in June 2021.

The Electric Van Count report is published monthly and includes interactive data graphics and expert analysis.

It also comes with a report which breaks down every new van registered in the UK by fuel type, manufacturer and market share. The report and all data is free and available to view or download.

Currently more than 90% of new vans are diesel. However electric van sales are on the rise with 33,500 electric vans now on Britain’s roads. The government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate will require a percentage of manufacturer’s new car and van sales to be zero emission each year from 2024.

The government recently ended the Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) scheme to focus on improving public charging infrastructure and supporting the purchase of electric taxis, trucks and vans.

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Ciara Cook, policy officer at New AutoMotive, said: “The only way we can move the needle on electric vans is to be conscientious in how we monitor the transition. Data is so crucial as it shows an unbiased view of how the industry is moving and where it needs further support.

“As it stands, more than nine in ten vans sold are diesel - the electric van market is still in early stages. The opportunity is now for this market to capitalise on the electric car momentum, and based on our data the same trajectory is possible with electric vans.

“The upcoming ZEV Mandate is an opportunity for the government to drive the electric van market forward. The policy itself needs to be ambitious and incentivise manufacturers to exceed industry targets - it’s a critical time and we can’t be complacent.

“Just as we’ve seen with the success of our Electric Car Count, we’re excited to launch the Electric Van Count to bring the same momentum change and accountability to the van market in its transition.”

The tracker is supported by EV100, a global initiative by Climate Group that brings together companies committed to switching their owned and contracted fleets to electric vehicles and installing charging infrastructure for employees and customers.

Dominic Finn, senior policy manager at EV100, said: “Through EV100, the UK’s largest fleets have committed to purchase only EVs by 2030. The demand for EVs has never been stronger, but more must be manufactured to meet demand and maintain this momentum.

“New AutoMotive’s Electric Van Count (EVC) will play an important role in helping understand the take up of subsegments and brands within the electric van market by providing crucial reliable, accessible data.”

Technology company Arrival, which makes clean energy vehicles which are designed for each city and made in the city itself, also backs the tracker. Avinash Rugoobur, president at Arrival, said: “Transport is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the UK and yet plug-in electric vehicles only make up 0.6% of vans.

“New AutoMotive’s Electric Van Count tool will provide key insight into the uptake of electric van sales in the UK and how crucial they are to powering the green transition.”

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