Van manufacturers have ‘mountain to climb’ on switch to electric
Just 5% of new vans sold in the UK last month were fully electric, green motoring consultancy New AutoMotive said.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Just 5% of new vans sold in the UK last month were fully electric, leading to fears that manufacturers have “a mountain to climb” ahead of the ban on diesel models.
Figures from green motoring consultancy New AutoMotive show 93% of the 17,140 new vans registered in July were diesel-powered.
Sales of new diesel and petrol vans and cars will be prohibited in the UK from 2030, with hybrids banned five years later.
The 5% market share of pure electric vans in July was up from 3% during the same month last year.
But that is dwarfed by the growth in demand for electric cars, with 11% of new cars registered last month being fully electric.
New Automotive research and policy officer Ciara Cook said: “It is great that more and more businesses and individuals are discovering the benefits of switching to an electric van.
“However, there is still a mountain to climb, with over 15,000 new diesel vans registered in July.
“Each new ICE (internal combustion engine) van registered is a polluting vehicle that will stay on the roads for years to come.”
She added that the running cost savings from electric vans could be “crucial for many businesses” following the surge in diesel prices.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.