New driving licence rules allowing electric vans up to 4.25 tonnes to be driven on a standard driving licence have now come into effect, but fleet operators say that the rules don’t go far enough.
The rule change, announced in February and in law from last month, effectively accounts for the heavier weight of an electric vehicle’s batteries. The standard category B licence limit of 3.5 tonnes applied to all types of light commercial vehicle, including vans, SUVs, trucks and minibuses, is now officially extended to 4.5 tonnes for electric versions of such vehicles.
Drivers of such vehicles will no longer have to undergo five hours of additional training and will be allowed to tow trailers, as long as the maximum authorised mass of vehicle and trailer is no more than seven tonnes.
However, LCV operators still want to see more changes to the rules for the heaviest electric vans. Drivers of electric vans of up to 4.25 tonnes were given a concession by the Department of Transport (DfT) in 2019, allowing those with a standard B licence to drive the 4.25-tonne EVs.
However, the concession caused confusion, with the DVSA and the DfT believing some operator rules still apply to such vehicles and effectively treating them as HGVs. Concerns remain that the regulations continue to include a perceived need for tachographs and annual vehicle testing.
Fleet operators believe that electric van adoption will not significantly increase until red tape relating to heavier electric vans is either reduced or removed. Responding to a recent survey by the Zero Emission Van Plan coalition (and electric van lobby group), 70% of fleets representing more than 175,000 vans described regulatory barriers such as MOTs and drivers’ hours as the single biggest barrier to electric van adoption.
Some 96% of operators told the survey that they would purchase 4.25-tonne electric vans if the regulations were changed.
The government has been consulting on the issue and is expected to announce further measures at some point.
