Calls for tachograph relaxation on electric vans
Wed, 23 Apr 2025
There are calls to relax tachograph and MoT rules in order to boost electric van sales in the UK.
Leasing provider Holman says that electric van regulations on testing and tachographs require significant reform in order to drive market growth.
These include the need for smaller electric vans to undergo testing outside of the HGV network, which is a current requirement for vehicles over 3.5t plus the removal of tachograph mandates for certain electric vans exceeding 3.5 tonnes Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM).
A government consultation on changes to MoT testing and tachograph use for electric vans with a MAM of 3.5t to 4.25t has now closed and licence derogation for drivers now allows those with a 3.5t licence to drive electric vans up to 4.25t, but Holman has called for the introduction of a hybrid system that addresses the unique challenges of e-LCVs.
“The HGV MoT network already struggles with capacity and adding what could be a considerable number of extra units to those repairers will only exacerbate the situation," says Dominic Hutchinson, Holman’s Head of Operations.
"Taking advantage of the large number of independent MoT stations makes far more sense and is far less likely to impact asset operators."
However, Holman believes that annual testing of these vans should continue until there is sufficient evidence that the extra weight of these vans is not having a detrimental effect on parts and safety.
He believes that the issue with moving to a three-year first MoT is that there will not be any statistically relevant data from the DVSA until the end of this decade at the earliest - and that’s assuming many of these vans come into use in the next year or two. Hutchinson says that is too long to wait to find out what’s going on in terms of compliance.
"We believe these vans should be subject to a hybrid regime, taking advantage of the capacity of the Class 7 MoT network while applying the annual testing of the HGV regime."
Holman also says that tachographs should be removed for the latest models. In-cab active safety systems, which are now required by legislation, should make heavier vans as safe as lighter ones, while the current requirement for tachographs for vans that travel further than 62 miles from base causes confusion for operators.
"In terms of removing the need for tachographs and driver hours legislation, we should see a reduction in overhead costs for all operators, which will help facilitate the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)," says Hutchinson.
"We need to ensure this does not come at the expense of road safety, so a balance must be struck. This is a critical issue for the adoption of these vehicle types. The sooner we can make the transition to electric happen in a financially and economically viable way without incurring further operational challenges the better.”
