Fleet body demands electric van MOT deferral over booking problems
The Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) is calling for a deferral for MOTs on some electric vans after some fleets reported finding tests ‘impossible’ to book.
The trade body has demanded an easing of the rules around 4.25-tonne vans, which are treated as HGVs for the purposes of MOT testing, as operators struggle to find garages with availability to carry out the tougher examinations.
The body warned that without a deferral, some businesses would be forced to take vehicles out of operation, cutting their fleets and costing them money.
While smaller, lighter electric vans are treated under the same Class 4 MOT requirements as passenger cars, 4.25-tonne models – often the same van fitted with a larger battery – require a Class 7 MOT. This means they must be first tested at one year old rather than three years old, and face a more rigorous examination.
Those affected say the general shortage of HGV testing sites and even fewer with the ability to serve electric vehicles threatens their operations.
Lorna McAtear, vice chair at the AFP, said: “As an organisation and at an individual member level, we’re very much focussed on safety and recognise the role that the MOT test plays in ensuring that vehicles are in a roadworthy condition.
“However, it’s questionable whether 4.25-tonne electric vans require HGV tests, an argument we have been making to government for some time. The whole point of this category of van when it was introduced in 2019 was to provide easy access for fleets to an electric equivalent of a 3.5-tonne panel van. These vehicles are simply 3.5-tonne vans with bigger batteries.
“The difficulties members are encountering around their inability to book MOT testing only emphasises this confusion. While the situation is being resolved, we would like to see some form of dispensation, similar to that created during the pandemic, allowing fleets to defer tests for a period of perhaps six or 12 months for the first and second year of testing, giving them time to find and book testing facilities.”
Serious impact
Aaron Powell, fleet and logistics director at Speedy Hire is one AFP member being affected and reports that his company will have to potentially take a number of vehicles off the road.
He said: “Between generally poor capacity for HGV testing and few test centres being able to handle electric vehicles, we’re finding it impossible on a practical level to book tests. Our lease provider has spent the last three months trying to find garages with the ability to carry out the pre-testing and source available slots for the test with limited success.
“This is going to have a serious impact on our business because we’re going to have to take these vans off the road and no doubt many other fleets are finding themselves in the same situation.”
McAtear added that confusion over the regulatory differences between 3.5-tonne and 4.25-tonne versions of the same van was also causing problems for operators.
She noted: “As a result of discussions between the Office for Zero Emissions, Driver Vehicle Standards Authority and Department for Transport, the operation of these vans on a practical level is often difficult for fleets due to confusion over whether they have been deregulated from all of the operator responsibilities that normally apply to vans over 3.5 tonnes.
“The government is aware of this and is trying to resolve the situation through the current consultation because there remains widespread belief that the 4.25-tonne concept remains worth pursuing as a means of speeding up van electrification. However, this process is taking time.”