Vauxhall has called for more on-street charging points to help boost demand for electric vans (Image: Vauxhall)
has urged the Government to invest more into the public charging network to support a staggering amount of business owners make the switch to an .
As the Government is expected to relax a number of policies in its (ZEV) mandate, has found that 91 percent of business owners would be reliant on on-street chargers to keep their electric vans on the road.
Eurig Druce, Group Managing Director of , noted that, whilst home or work-based charging is typically favoured by private EV owners, it is often impossible for businesses.
He explained: “The findings of the Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report highlight the growing reliance of UK businesses on residential EV charging infrastructure to make the electric transition.
“Charging at home or work is incredibly convenient, and the charging network on Britain’s major roads is improving at a very rapid pace; however, to ensure fleet operators are comfortable moving to electric, councils need to work with charge point operators to install charge points on residential roads that need it most.”
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44 percent of the UK’s public chargers are all located in London and the South East (Image: Getty)
According to Vauxhall, 84 percent of UK businesses now feature at least one EV, with 39 percent claiming that they would be able to switch to a fully-electric fleet by 2026.
However, whilst more businesses move from diesel to electric power, 23 percent of fleet operators stated that a lack of on-street residential charging is stopping them from making the switch.
According to Zapmap, the UK featured 73,699 EV charging stations in 2024. However, various parts of the country still feature a particularly low amount, limiting the practicality of running an electric van, particularly if it is covering an extensive mileage every day.
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91 percent of business owners say that they would be reliant on on-street chargers (Image: Getty)
Eurig suggested that improving the UK’s network of public chargers would also have a significant impact on the number of private EVs sold – boosting public confidence.
He continued: “Last year, research we conducted with CENEX demonstrated that only 19 percent of all households who need it are close to a public charge point.
“It is only when this figure increases that businesses and fleet operators will feel confident in their transition towards electrification.”
According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 21,244 electric cars were sold in the UK during February 2025 – representing a 41.7 percent increase in 12 months.
Whilst EVs failed to meet the Government’s target of 28 percent during the month, electric models had an impressive market share of more than a quarter of all new models sold.
However, some motoring experts have predicted that the figure could fall from April 2025, with the Government ending the tax exemption on EVs, with owners paying a flat rate of £195 per year.