2030 hybrid exemption could benefit van fleets

Van fleet operators are expected to benefit from the government’s decision to exempt hybrid cars from the reinstated 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel models.

New hybrids will now be sold until 2035.

The government announcement only relates to cars, but it is likely similar rules will apply to vans as well. This will give van fleet operators more time to make the switch to fully electric vehicles.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said:

“It’s no secret that van fleets have been finding the process of electrification much more tough than their car counterparts. Battery electric vans bring payload, range and charging compromises that present massive operational obstacles for some.”

Hybrid exemption

Golding continued: “Against that backdrop, hybrid vans are a sensible stepping stone that will provide an extra five years to resolve those issues. It is genuinely good news. Few people in fleet could envisage how van fleets were going to switch to a battery electric only model by the end of the decade, and the new government announcement provides some breathing space.

“What operators will have now though, is more time to use hybrids where they are needed. In the simplest terms, electric vans are likely to be adopted for applications where their compromises are less of an issue, and hybrids where greater range and payload are needed, or there is a shortage of charging facilities.”