Our industry has seen the rapid and mass-adoption of electric company cars over the last 5 years – but how far behind are their LCV equivalents?

Whilst organisations are looking to reduce their environmental impact, van fleets face a unique set of operational and financial barriers that make electrification a more complex challenge. At Ogilvie Fleet, we see these hurdles first-hand – but also understand how they can be overcome with the right planning, data and support.

For LCV drivers who take their vehicles home, charging can be problematic. Even when home access is possible, not every business is willing to fund installations, with drivers often sceptical about reimbursement accuracy for home energy use. This uncertainty can stall driver engagement from the outset.

Public and en-route charging infrastructure in the UK is now one of the strongest in Europe, but not without problems for eLCVs and their drivers. Downtime whilst charging impacts productivity, and most charging bays are sized for cars rather than large vans. Add to that inconsistent pricing, availability issues, and operational downtime when chargers are out of order and it’s easy to see why confidence is low.

Depot charging should offer a solution, yet many business sites still lack the infrastructure or available power capacity to support multiple eLCVs. Combined with reduced payloads due to increased battery weight, and the impact of additional roof or side storage on range, the operational equation becomes even more complicated. Range anxiety remains real, especially when vans are fully loaded or used intensively.

Then there’s the question of cost and regulation. eLCVs are often more expensive upfront than ICE equivalents, and models over 3.5 tonnes face extra regulations and limited test centre availability. For some operators, this adds further friction.