The new UK Government should not bring the date at which new petrol and diesel LCVs will be banned forward from 2035, according to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
The organisation has unveiled a five-point list of what it calls “easy wins” for the government, the first of which is describes as “realism on EV policy”.
AFP board member Lorna McAtear said: “Fleets and the manufacturers that supply them need to take a real world look at the rate of EV adoption in light of the experience of fleets over the last few years.
“Labour have said they will restore the 2030 [new ICE ban]. It is now clear that this is possible for cars but just not practicable for vans. There are too many hurdles and the products available do not meet the needs of enough businesses.
“There is an argument for leaving the current 2035 target in place for all vehicles, with the ZEV mandates continuing, but if there is a return to 2030, it should be for cars only.”
Other items on the AFP’s list include labels inside vehicle charge port flaps explaining their charging capabilities, standardised EV battery health checks, a push on vehicle-to-grid battery storage, and a relaxation of planning laws to aid charger installations.
McAtear said: “Everyone has a list of expensive measures for the incoming government and we would certainly like to see some of those enacted, such as a reduction or removal of VAT on public charging, but we thought it would be a useful exercise to put ourselves in the position of the government which, we all know, faces very real restrictions on spending at the moment.”
