Report claims vans are biggest UK polluter
Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) account for 40 per cent of all logistics-related emissions in the UK, making them the largest single contributor to pollution, according to a report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
In the light of this, fleet electrification expert Bedeo is urging both industry and the UK government to “seriously consider electric retrofitting as a solution to reduce the LCV sector’s emissions immediately, rather than waiting until 2035 and beyond”.
The McKinsey report comes at a time when UK-based battery electric LCV (eLCV) registrations are declining and diesel-powered LCV sales are rising. Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that just 5.1 per cent (10,260) of all new LCVs (<3.5t and Rigids between 3.5 – 4.25t) registered this year are battery electric, which has reduced from 5.6 per cent (11,016) market share in 2023. In contrast, diesel <3.5t sales this year are still on the up, reaching 187,223. New registrations in July 2024 – over 5,000 more than last year.
Bedeo believes that high upfront costs, limited availability, and perceived reductions in load space are significant barriers to buying brand-new eLCVs.
However, the company says its ‘third way’ – retrofitting an electric powertrain through its Reborn Electric programme – provides a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a brand-new eLCV, offering electrification at a significantly lower price while preserving load space and reducing the overall CO2 emissions produced by LCVs.
Osman Boyner, founder and CEO of Bedeo said: “No longer can we hide from the facts – LCVs are the single biggest polluters in the logistics industry. Our reliance on them isn’t going to reduce, and for good reason – LCVs are the backbone of the logistics industry – however, we need to rethink the way we power them [mainly with fossil fuels] and offer cost-effective electric versions now, and not just wait until they’re banned – that could be in 2030, 2035 or even beyond that.”