Electric van MOT tests now ‘impossible’ to book

Businesses are calling for an official deferral for MOTs on electric vans after fleet operators report having to take vehicles off the road.

Businesses are calling for an official deferral for MOT tests on electric vans after fleet operators reported they are ‘impossible’ to book.

Electric versions of regular large vans often fall within the 4.25-tonne derogation rules. It means they are treated as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) for the MOT. This requires them to be tested at one year old, rather than three.

There are now a growing number of electric vans on UK roads. However, HGV testing capacity is generally very poor, and even fewer test stations are equipped to handle electric vehicles.

It means many companies have not been able to book in their vehicles for an MOT. “This is going to have a serious impact on our business,” said Speedy Hire fleet and logistics director, Aaron Powell. “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.”

Call for MOT to be deferred

Trade body the Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) is calling for electric van MOTs to be deferred. It argues that the vehicles do not require the more rigorous HGV tests.

“These vehicles are simply 3.5-tonne vans with bigger batteries,” said AFP vice chair, Lorna McAtear. “It’s questionable whether 4.25-tonne electric vans require HGV tests, an argument we have been making to government for some time.”

While the situation is being resolved, she would like to see some form of dispensation similar to that created during the pandemic.

This would allow fleets to defer tests for a period of six or 12 months on 4.25-tonne vans for the first and second year of testing. This would give them time to find and book MOT tests without vehicles having to be taken off the road.

“It is disappointing that businesses working in good faith to electrify their light commercial vehicle operations are being affected in this manner,” added McAtear.

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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