06 Mar 2025

UK BUSINESSES RELIANT ON ON-STREET ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE, WITH OVER ONE-FIFTH SAYING IT’S A BARRIER TO GOING ELECTRIC

Vauxhall report has revealed that over 90% of UK business fleet operators say drivers would be reliant on residential charging if they switch to a fully electric fleet
Extensive research highlighted the need to accelerate on-street charging infrastructure to support UK business - over one-fifth (23%) of fleet operators say lack of adequate on-street charging is the main barrier to going electric today
83% of electric van fleet operators highlight benefits to their business, while 91% say switching to an all-electric fleet would positively impact public perception
Vauxhall is a leading fleet partner with UK businesses including Openreach and British Gas, supplying electric vehicles to support their day-to-day operations
Vauxhall launched Electric Streets of Britain to support the switch to electric. The database remains open for drivers to register charging needs: electricstreets.co.uk
40% of UK households do not have driveways and therefore are reliant on the public charging network¹
Vauxhall’s research is presented in the new ‘Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report’, available to download from the Vauxhall website electricstreets.co.uk

Research by Vauxhall, published in a new ‘Electric Van Adoption Report’, has highlighted the growing need to improve the UK’s public charging infrastructure to support businesses in their transition to electric. The exclusive study consulted businesses from a range of industries nationwide and highlights the desire of fleet operators to adopt electric vans onto their fleets, but also reveals that shortfalls in current levels of on-street charging are making this impractical.

91% told Vauxhall their drivers would be reliant on using on-street public charging to power their vehicles, with over one-fifth (23%) of fleet operators admitting that a lack of adequate on-street charging is the main barrier stopping their fleets going electric today.

In the findings 84% of fleet operators told Vauxhall they have at least one electric van currently on their fleet, and of those who don’t, 90% say they are planning to welcome an electric van onto their fleet within the next year.

The need for improvements in public charging infrastructure was highlighted further by the fact that 81% of businesses said it would be problematic to install EV charging provisions at their operating bases.

While businesses told Vauxhall they don’t think it would be practical to adopt an all-electric fleet any earlier than late 2028, 90% of fleet operators say they plan for their business to be fully electric before 2035, the date currently set for the UK Government's planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Eurig Druce, Group Managing Director, Stellantis UK, said: “The findings of the Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report highlight the growing reliance of UK businesses on residential EV charging infrastructure to make the electric transition.

“As one of the UK’s oldest established vehicle manufacturers, we aim to support British businesses to experience all the benefits that EVs offer through our wide electric van range. Charging at home or work is incredibly convenient, and the charging network on Britain’s major roads is improving at a very rapid pace, however, to ensure fleet operators are comfortable moving to electric, councils need to work with charge point operators to install charge points on residential roads that need it most.

“Through our ongoing Electric Streets of Britain campaign, we continue to invite residents, businesses and fleet operators to register their on-street charging needs. This information is then passed to local authorities for them to make more informed decisions on where to install new chargers.

“Last year, research we conducted with CENEX demonstrated that only 19% of all households who need it are close to a public charge point. It is only when this figure increases that businesses and fleet operators will feel confident in their transition towards electrification.”

Businesses operating within the manufacturing and utilities industry expressed the most concern over the electric transition, with 90% of fleet operators in this sector saying a move to a fully electric van fleet would be a challenge.

While the survey highlighted shortfalls in the UK’s infrastructure network, 83% of fleet operators currently using electric vans say they bring benefits to their business, and 91% of all fleet operators say switching to an all-electric fleet would positively impact customer perception of their business.

While figures from The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) highlighted a 1.3% growth in electric van uptake in 2024 compared to 2023², with over 75,000 now estimated to be on the road³, the number of public charge points across the UK increased by 38% in 2024, bringing the total to over 73,000, helped in part by the continued roll out of the Government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. However, 72% of the UK’s on-street chargers are found in Greater London, highlighting the need for a more targeted approach to installation to allow access to power nationwide.⁴

Vauxhall is an established fleet partner with leading UK businesses including Openreach and British Gas, providing a range of electric vehicles to support their operations up and down the country. The brand has offered businesses a fully electric version of every van in its line-up since 2021 and has sold more electric vans in the UK than any other manufacturer, with over 17,000 on the road – 20% of all electric vans registered on UK roads today are Vauxhall vans.

It currently provides sole traders and small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers the added benefit of a complimentary Octopus Ohme Pro wallbox and residential installation when purchasing a new electric Vauxhall van.

In late 2024, Vauxhall launched its latest electric van range with significant list price reductions on all models, greater tech offering and a longer vehicle range, allowing drivers to go up to 263 miles on a single charge. The entry-point to the Vauxhall electric van range, the Combo Electric, which is manufactured in the UK, is now available from £27,100 – a saving of over £4,000 compared to the previous model.

Vauxhall launched Electric Streets of Britain to support UK businesses and drivers wanting to make the switch to electric, working with councils and leading charge point operators, char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge to accelerate the UK’s on-street charging infrastructure. Last year, Vauxhall partnered with leading sustainable transport organisation, CENEX, to highlight the importance of a targeted strategy towards charge point installation, to ensure charging devices are introduced to streets across the country which need them most.

Vauxhall invites drivers to register their need for on-street charging near them; so far, over 12,000 streets have been logged as needing on-street charging across the country through electricstreets.co.uk.

The full research has been published in the new ‘Vauxhall Electric Van Adoption Report’, available to download and read from Vauxhall’s website: electricstreets.co.uk

For more information or to register your EV charging needs, visit electricstreets.co.uk

ENDS

Survey conducted among 2,000 UK fleet operators by OpinionMatters

¹ TfL Feasibility Study into Electric Vehicle Uptake and the Impacts of Associated Infrastructure (Source: TfL Electric Vehicle Charging Study)

²‘The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders’ - https://www.smmt.co.uk/2025/01/electric-van-demand-static-in-2024-despite-biggest-overall-market-in-three-years/

³Zapmap – EV Market Stats 2024

⁴Zapmap - 2024 EV charging statistics reveal record rate of charge point installations

ABOUT VAUXHALL MOTORS

Vauxhall Motors started making vehicles in the UK in 1903. Today, it is a leader in electrification – as of 2021, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer fully electric versions of all its vans. Since the end of 2024, Vauxhall has offered a fully electric version of every model in its car and van line-up. It is the UK’s best-selling electric light commercial vehicle manufacturer, with more than 17,000 electric vans on the road wearing the Griffin logo, while among its passenger car line-up, the Corsa Electric is the UK’s best-selling electric supermini.

Vauxhall launched Electric Streets of Britain in summer 2023 to support the millions of drivers across the UK without access to a private driveway, with a focus on increasing the number of accessible residential on-street charge points so nobody is left behind in the transition to electric mobility. Whether you drive a Vauxhall or not, Electric Streets of Britain was created to support anyone wanting to drive an EV, welcoming drivers across the country to register their charging needs at www.electricstreets.co.uk

Vauxhall is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. Info: www.vauxhall.co.uk

Press Contacts:

Michael Lear Performance Communications

michael@performancecomms.com 07813 479 357

Lucinda Inggs PR Manager, Vauxhall

lucinda.inggs@stellantis.com 07542 394 878

Matthew Bendall Head of PR, Vauxhall

matthew.bendall@vauxhall.co.uk 07920 163 854

Jeremy Townsend Group Communications Director, Stellantis UK

jeremy.townsend@stellantis.com 07827 896 480