Electric vans will now require an MOT

A rule that permitted electric vans to operate without an MOT has been closed, all electric vans registered before the 1st of March 2015 will now have the requirement of undergoing a MOT test after three years!

Electric vans - what's changed?

The government has announced that all electric vans registered before the 1st of March 2015 will require an MOT. The loophole which meant that electric vans were exempt from MOT test and O license requirements is no more, with legislation dating back to the era of milk floats leading to the previous exemption. The legislation meant that electric vans were regarded as wheeled items of electrical plant and hence governed by legislations covering electrical equipment in the workplace.

There has been previous calls for the loophole to be closed by companies in the van leasing and van finance industry, believing that the previous ruling was somewhat trailing behind the current new van market, pointing to 'operational difficulty' and the importance of an MOT in providing structure to van fleets in maintaining their vehicles to a high standard. The MOT also proves that the vans are being maintained to legal guidelines.

With the increasing scrutiny behind diesel vans and emissions, it is expected that uptake of alternate fuel and electric vans will continue to grow, particularly in van fleets that operate in busy city centres where pressures on emissions are only going to increase. The increase in uptake is also expected to coincide with the quality and variety of options also increasing. For example, the new Nissan e-NV200 van recently increased its range by 60 percent, whilst the Volkswagen e-Crafter and Renault Master ZE vans on display in the CV Show 2018 represent the first large vans to enter the electric vans market. Other large vans including the Mercedes Sprinter will also follow suit in years to come. Whilst the Mercedes Vito is another set to go electric, as electric van options, quality and convenience will continue to grow over the coming years.

Electric vans on finance

Get your new vans direct from Vansdirect! At Vansdirect we have a HUGE range of brand new vans available, including electric vans! We also offer cheap van finance options with our new vans including van leasing, contract hire and hire purchase. Looking for a new van? Submit your details online or call us on 0800 169 69 95 for a free no obligation quote, we also offer cars.