Linked to the surge in home deliveries, vans are the EU’s fastest growing source of road transport emissions. Unlike for cars, the EU’s van CO₂ standards have failed to put electric vans on the market in any real numbers. Only 3% of van sales were electric in 2021, compared to 18% for cars (9% battery electric vehicle, 9% plug-in hybrids).
The Commission’s Fit for 55 proposal that all new vans must be zero emission from 2035 is welcome. But the proposal falls short in terms of what’s needed between now and 2035. Unlike carmarkers, none of Europe’s major vanmakers have come forward with serious electrification plans, which highlights that cleaning up vans has been neglected by decision-makers to date.
T&E’s analysis clearly shows that new electric vans are already cheaper than their diesel counterparts and that stronger van CO2 targets are urgently needed for widespread adoption of greener e-vans.