Northgate has urged the Government to consult more with large fleets, both to shape future legislation and for when departments undertake key research into LCV trends.
Last month saw the publication of the TRL report on ‘EV adoption and smart charging for electric vans and commercial fleets’, which was undertaken for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The 75-page report was carried out to explore the enablers and barriers that commercial fleet operators and drivers face in adopting electric vans.
But it included interviews with just 53 van fleet operators and 44 van drivers, some of which already run electric vans and some who haven’t yet begun their electrification journey.
Northgate UK & Ireland’s managing director Neil McCrossan believes the UK’s largest LCV fleets should be consulted if government departments are looking to formulate future LCV legislation – rather than just a handful of operators and drivers.
“We have a huge amount of knowledge and experience to share and are highly motivated to help find the optimal solution for the industry, not just for our customers.
“We have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and many of the answers around electrification from working with companies across our 50,000-strong fleet.
“Our customers come from a number of sectors so we are uniquely placed to have qualified views on this subject which is why Northgate and similar companies should be asked to join the conversation,” he added.
Northgate’s own research provides a comprehensive look at the changing face of fleet electric van deployment.
The EV customer research was published in 2024 based on hundreds of LCV fleets attending its EV roadshows. It found that 62.5% identified carbon reduction as their main motivation for lowering emissions; an increase from 50% in 2023.
Meanwhile, 15.1% of fleets expressed concerns about charging and vehicle choice, when considering the direct replacement of diesel LCVs with equivalent EVs.
The fact that fleet priorities changed by 12.5% in just a year shows just how quickly market sentiment is moving towards emission reduction, according to the firm.
Northgate also launched its electric micromobility service at the 2024 Great British Fleet Event, developed in response to the changing needs of fleets, and has now extended the different types of electric LCVs it offers to 12.
McCrossan also said that the recent Autumn Budget announcement that double cab pickups will be treated as company cars for Benefit-in-Kind tax and capital allowance purposes from April 2025 would have benefited from fleet consultation
“The legislation changes in 2024 made by different governments would have benefited from consulting with companies such as us that have customers using double cab pickups for business use. In the long term the legislation will penalise those bona fide business users and their drivers from using these multi-purpose vehicles,” said McCrossan.
“Talking to fleets such as Northgate or trade associations such as the BVRLA would have provided greater and more detailed insights to support policy-making decisions,” he added.
