Government moves to align electric van rules with diesel

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) welcomes the UK Government’s draft legislation to reform the regulatory treatment of zero emission vans. Under the proposed changes, battery electric vans weighing up to 4.25 tonnes will be treated more like conventional vans, simplifying MOT testing and removing assimilated drivers’ hours and tachograph requirements that previously applied due to battery weight.

These reforms will help level the playing field with diesel equivalents and support operators as they transition to cleaner vehicles. We look forward to swift implementation so that businesses can accelerate the electrification of their fleets with reduced administrative burden.

This change comes at a particularly relevant time, as the RHA has recently introduced an EV van to support the transportation of our truck simulator as it travels around the country. The proposed legislation will allow the vehicle to be treated as a standard van, addressing some of the administrative challenges we have experienced to date.

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing details of the EV van and simulator, along with its programme for the remainder of 2026.