Government holding back electric van leasing possibilities, claims supplier
Friday 19 February 2010 Back to Blog
Lack of support from the government is holding back the development of electric vans, it has been claimed.
According to Bill Gillespie, chief executive of Coventry-based electric van company Modec, the government has failed to introduce measures to support the elctric vehicle sector in the UK.
Speaking to the Birmingham Post, he said: "A sense of urgency is lacking.
"Electric vans are heavier than normal vans because of things like batteries, so we end up being in a slightly different weight class from normal vans.
"That means people aged 25 and below can’t drive our vehicles unless they take a different test."
He said that this issue has caused difficulties for prospective customers who want an electric van but do not want to take an extra test.
Furthermore, the company had asked the government to review the regulations but was a matter for the EU.
However, Mr Gillespie claims that, when the same question was asked in the Netherlands, the government there managed to have the law changed.
Ford recently unveiled an electric version of its Transit Connect van at the Chicago Auto Show.