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09 February 2026
At Euro Commercials, our van sales teams speak to operators every day — and the same concerns come up consistently when electric vans are discussed:
These are valid questions. And for many years, they were genuine barriers.
But the reality in 2026 is very different to what it was even five years ago. Infrastructure has expanded rapidly, vehicle capability has improved, and more businesses are starting to see where electric vans fit within their operations.
This series looks at the facts behind the fears — starting with what’s actually changed across the UK.
The biggest shift — and the one many businesses underestimate — is infrastructure.
The UK’s public charging network has expanded dramatically:
For commercial operators, speed matters as much as availability.
In practical terms, that means faster turnaround times and better support for vehicles covering longer routes.
Charging was once designed mainly around passenger vehicles. That is no longer the case.
Growth is now being driven by:
Ultra-rapid charging in particular has accelerated, with strong increases in high-powered 150kW+ devices supporting en-route charging for longer journeys.
For many van operators — especially those returning to base daily — depot charging can already cover most operational needs.
The expansion of infrastructure isn’t happening in isolation. It’s following growing demand from fleets and businesses.
Major logistics and delivery operators are already scaling electric vehicle adoption, including significant investment in electric van fleets and supporting charging infrastructure.
At the same time, manufacturers are accelerating electric van development — offering improved range, payload capability and efficiency.
For businesses, the conversation is shifting from:
“Is electric possible?”
to
“Where does electric make sense in our fleet?”
Despite the progress, many operators are still working from outdated assumptions.
Euro Commercials van sales executives regularly hear:
Yet the UK charging network has grown every year since 2021 and continues to scale across regions and use cases.
There are still challenges — including regional disparities and the need for continued investment — but infrastructure is no longer static. It is expanding rapidly alongside vehicle adoption.
With infrastructure improving and technology evolving, electric vans are moving from early-adoption territory into mainstream fleet planning.
Key drivers include:
For many organisations, diesel is no longer the automatic default. Instead, operators are beginning to assess which parts of their fleet could realistically transition.
This is exactly where conversations with our customers are now focused.
At Euro Commercials, we’re not seeing a one-size-fits-all switch to electric.
We’re seeing:
Confidence is growing — not because of marketing — but because the infrastructure and vehicles are catching up with operational demands.
And that’s where the real shift is happening.
Author: Andrea Diaz
Infrastructure has grown significantly.
But the key question for operators remains:
What does charging actually look like day-to-day for a van business?
Because confidence doesn’t come from statistics alone — it comes from understanding how electric works in practice.
Naturally, many customers have lots of questions about making the switch to an electric van. Here, we answer those that are most commonly asked, but if you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Yes. You can seek HMRC reimbursement via the Advisory Electric Rate (AER), which is currently set at 5p per mile. However, many business users prefer to take advantage of Benefit-in-Kind (BiK).
Electric cars producing CO2 emissions lower than 50g/km are eligible for 100-percent capital-allowance tax relief for the first year.
There’s no simple answer to this. The calculation of company car tax is based on the make and model of the vehicle, its CO2 emissions and its P11D value, among other things. (P11D is a tax form used to inform HMRC how much Class 1A National Insurance needs to be paid on expenses and benefits provided by a business.)
For full details, please click here
Yes, but only if the vehicle in question is used exclusively for business purposes.
For more information, please click here
There are many positives to driving an electric van, such as:
This will depend on the size of the van’s battery and where it is charged. Charging an electric vehicle at home is cheaper during off-peak times than peak times – and either option is cheaper than charging at a public access point.
The Mercedes-Benz eVito has a 41kWh battery (35 kWh of which is usable), and costs about 16p per kWh to charge on a typical workplace commercial tariff – adding up to a total cost of £5.60 (6.7p per mile).
This will depend on the van in question and the size of its battery. As an example, the Mercedes-Benz eVito offers a 93-mile range.
Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) is a perk or bonus that doesn’t constitute part of an employee’s salary. All vehicles have a BiK percentage banding, based on CO2 emissions and P11D value, among other things.
For full details (and access to the most accurate way to calculate BiK for company cars), please click here
Whatever your question or feedback we are here to help. So please feel free to contact us
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