2% of vans replaced by electric

About 2% of vans scrapped under the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) scrappage scheme have been replaced by electric equivalents.

Of the 16,207 applications to scrap a petrol or diesel van approved between January 2023 to May 2024, 374 were replaced by an electric vehicle, Transport for London (TfL) figures show.

Transport and Environment, which campaigns for increased usage of electric vehicles, said “more action was needed to boost electric van demand”.

The mayor’s office said Londoners who received the scrappage grant could decide how to spend the money and that it did not have to be spent on an electric vehicle.

The Ulez scrappage scheme was launched by the mayor of London in 2023 to provide financial assistance to help Londoners and businesses scrap the highest polluting vehicles.

Its aim was to help drivers prepare for the expansion of the Ulez across all London boroughs by offering them money to scrap, donate or retrofit vehicles that do not meet the emissions standards.

Ralph Palmer, from Transport and Environment – a campaign group which obtained the figures from TfL – said: “The continued rise in van emissions in the UK is alarming.

“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.

“It’s clear that more action is needed to boost electric van demand among fleets to ensure we achieve the triple win of tackling emissions, reducing running costs for small businesses and boosting energy security.”

The news comes shortly after it was revealed that London was the most congested city in Europe.

A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: “Since the introduction of the scrappage scheme, more than 52,000 grants have been approved for Londoners, businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles, with more than £178m committed.”

They added: “London is leading the way in electric vehicle uptake with more than 20,000 electric charge points – more than one third of the UK’s total.

“The mayor has committed to working closely with partners to deliver 40,000 charging points by 2030.”

If you have ever ordered a delivery, you will know most of the time what you ordered turns up in a van.

How we live our lives now impacts traffic and the rise of the van is challenging traffic planners and has been for some years.

With deliveries now very fast and popular, it means there are more and more vans delivering everything from toys to tikka paste.

According to TfL, 13% of distance driven in London is by vans. That contributes to congestion and pollution.

What will concern planners is many businesses aren’t yet switching to cleaner electric vans.

It’s probably a combination of cost, range anxiety and a lack of charging infrastructure, but it’s something that will need to be tackled by the authorities.

Maybe incentives will be increased because at the moment the switch isn’t happening.