Carbon Emissions From Diesel Vans Rise in UK as Electric Transition Lags
While the UK sees growing adoption of electric and hybrid cars, emissions from diesel vans continue to climb, raising concerns among environmental advocates.
A diesel van: drivers who go electric may find they can’t use some public charging stations, owing to size or inadequate cables.
According to recent analysis, carbon emissions from vans in the UK have increased significantly since 1990. This trend contrasts with the advancements in the car market, where emissions have decreased. Transport and Environment, a clean transport and energy advocacy group, reports a 63% rise in carbon emissions from light vans since 1990. In the same period, emissions from cars are down by 19%, although the total number of cars on the road has also risen.
One of the primary factors hindering the shift to electric vans is their higher cost compared to diesel models. The limited selection of electric van models further complicates the transition. Businesses and individual operators have expressed concerns about the financial implications of purchasing new electric vehicles, especially given the existing economic climate. Moreover, even those who switch to electric vans face practical challenges. Public electric vehicle charging stations are often unsuitable, with limited space or inadequate charging cables, making it difficult for larger vans to charge conveniently.
Ralph Palmer from Transport and Environment noted that the rise in van emissions is “alarming.” He added, “Despite the push for more electric vans on our roads, we are still witnessing a surge in greenhouse gas emissions from vans as a result of sustained sales of diesel vans, countering trends we are seeing in the car market.”
Oliver Lord, UK head of the Clean Cities campaign, emphasized that the UK is lagging behind other European countries in promoting electric van adoption. The Netherlands, for example, is establishing zero-emission logistics zones. Lord stated, “There’s no way we’ll clean our air and hit our climate goals unless we do more to help businesses switch away from polluting diesel vans.”
The UK government introduced a zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) mandate last September. The mandate stipulates that by the end of this year, 10% of all new van and car sales should be electric, increasing to 100% by 2035. If manufacturers fail to meet these targets, they face a fine of £15,000 for each additional diesel or petrol vehicle sold. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported that 341,455 new vans were registered last year, of which 20,253 had electric batteries.
Palmer pointed out that the flexibilities given to automakers initially may delay the initial targets. He added, “There are very, very generous flexibilities that have been given to automakers in the first two or three years of this scheme, which basically means that we won’t hit that 10% mark this year. But that should actually help bring far more van models to the market.”
Openreach plans to convert its 30,000 vans to electric by 2031.
BT subsidiary Openreach is planning to convert its 30,000 vans to electric by 2031. Michael Salter-Church, sustainability director at Openreach, expressed frustration with the limitations of the current electric van market but sees the ZEV mandate as a “really important step.” Openreach has already integrated 4,100 battery-powered electric vans into its fleet, supported by government grants. The company is installing chargers at its engineers’ homes to facilitate the charging of their electric vans. However, charging while on the road presents challenges, with charging points designed for cars often not suitable for vans. Salter-Church emphasized the need for improved charging infrastructure to support wider electric van adoption.
“It is right to put more pressure on the manufacturers,” he said. “We were very concerned that no political party has pledged to extend the electric van grants beyond 31 March, 2025.”
