New driving licence rules will come into effect this month allowing holders of a standard category B licence to drive zero emission vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes, without the need for an additional five hours training.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles confirmed the change will take effect from 10 June, increasing the current 3.5-tonne limit to account for the additional weight of EV batteries – bringing electric vans and hydrogen powered vans in line with their petrol and diesel counterparts.
This expanded flexibility is not limited to vans – it also includes minibuses, trailers, SUVs, trucks and any other vehicle type that would fall within the 3.5-tonne limit if conventionally powered.
Will Reeves, SMMT Commercial Vehicle and Bus & Coach Section Manager, said: “Forward-thinking regulation is crucial to meet the needs of fleet operators in the UK, particularly given ambitions to decarbonise the market. The amendment to this derogation, with the removal of the five hour training, is a positive step, ensuring more light commercial vehicle buyers are able run their operations on zero emissions.
“Further measures are needed to support the fleet transition, however, including ambitious infrastructure planning – to speed up the rollout of public charging infrastructure and ensure preferential access to installing grid connections at depots – given access to charging is a prerequisite for making the switch.”
The requirement for additional training, which is currently in place, will be removed. If the vehicles are fitted with specialist equipment for disabled passengers, this weight limit will be 5t, provided the extra 0.75t is only attributable to this specialist equipment.
This includes vans, minibuses, SUVs, trucks, and any vehicle that you can usually drive using a category B licence up to 3.5t. Drivers will also be able to tow using a 4.25t ZEV, up to a total combined MAM of 7t.
The same additional requirements that apply to driving minibuses up to 3.5tn, such as being 21 or over, will also apply to zero emission minibuses up to 4.25tn. These rules will apply to electric or hydrogen zero emission vehicles only.
BVRLA Chief Executive, Toby Poston, said the changes are “long overdue”, adding: “Regulatory barriers remain a key blocker for van fleet decarbonisation, alongside the lack of fiscal support and concerns over charging. Government knows the levers that need to be pulled and we are optimistic that these changes mark the start of more progress to come.”
