Regulations to be relaxed for zero-emission vans

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that zero-emission (ZE) vans in Great Britain with a maximum authorised mass of over 3.5 up to 4.25 tonnes will be moved from the heavy vehicle annual test regime into the Class 7 MOT testing system, in a bid to reduce costs and administrative burdens for ZE van operators.

The decision follows a consultation that closed earlier this year. Road safety impacts resulting from the move will be monitored via a post-implementation review, DfT said.

The department is also exploring options for the same vehicles to be moved from assimilated drivers’ hours rules into the scope of GB rules, which it says will provide greater simplicity, flexibility and uniformity with equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Legislation will need to be enacted before the changes come into effect, and the DfT currently expects that this will occur around spring or summer next year.

The planned adjustments to the regulatory landscape are a result of the extra weight of batteries or other zero-emission technologies that such vehicles need to carry, meaning they are often heavier than equivalently sized and deployed ICE vehicles, which may move them over the 3.5t threshold.

Having assessed the consultation responses, DfT said there was a “clear view” that the existing roadworthiness testing burden for the affected vehicles was “likely to act as a barrier to their adoption”.

“The benefits of moving these vehicles into the Class 7 MOT system were agreed on by many respondents: greater flexibility, reduced costs and reduced administrative burdens including for managers of mixed ICE and ZE van fleets in providing one consistent regime,” said the department.

“However, some risks of moving to a different system were also noted.

“Some respondents suggested that both the reduced frequency of the test and the shift into Class 7 MOT, coupled with these vehicles being (in some cases) intensively used would lead to worsened road safety.

“However, the additional safety features on these vehicles, their predominant use as part of professional fleets and the unchanging obligation to maintain vehicles in a roadworthy condition were also raised to support the argument that the road safety impact would not be significant.”

DfT said that data it had been supplied by operators with fleets combining the ZE vans and ICE equivalents showed “no increase in collision rate for the heavier ZE vans” – though it noted that it was unclear whether this was due to altered driver behaviour, additional safety features or other factors.

“Having considered the responses provided, DfT will work to move 3.5 to 4.25t ZE vans into scope of the class 7 MOT testing system (without adding features from the HGV test into the class 7 MOT), with a first test 3 years from first registration (and then annually),” it concluded.

The post-implementation review will compare collision rates before and after the switch to Class 7 MOT testing for the affected vehicles, so government can decide whether the legislation should be amended or revoked. MOT fail and roadside prohibition rates may also be monitored to determine whether there is any significant change to vehicles’ condition.

Full details of the results of the consultation can be found at the gov.uk website.