Fleet industry news round-up November

The Government has pledged action to make it easier for fleets to operate zero-emission vans weighing 3.5 to 4.25 tonnes (Opens in new window).

This was in response to a consultation held between December and March 2024 on regulations related to annual vehicle testing, drivers' hours and tachographs, and speed-limiter devices for zero-emission (ZE) vans.

Electric vans tend to be heavier compared to their petrol and diesel counterparts due to the extra weight of the battery and other zero-emission technology. This extra weight may move the vehicle above the 3.5-tonne threshold, over which additional regulatory requirements for heavy goods vehicles apply.

Changes to driving licence entitlement for zero-emission vehicles came into effect from June 2025, making it easier to switch to electric vans. However, there are additional regulations in other areas that are slowing the transition to zero-emission vehicles. The consultation, ‘Zero-emission vans: regulatory flexibility (Opens in new window)’, sought to reduce the barriers to electric van adoption by defining the regulations for vehicles that fall within the 3.5 to 4.25-tonne derogation.

MOT Testing Changes

• The consultation proposed moving 3.5–4.25-tonne ZE vehicles into the Class 7 MOT testing system, where tests are carried out by the private sector rather than DVSA examiners at ATFs.

Tachograph Rules for 4.25-tonne Electric Vans

• The consultation sought views on proposals to alter drivers' hours and tachograph rules which apply to these vans. Currently, they fall into scope of the assimilated drivers' hours rules and assimilated tachograph rules. However, there is a national derogation covering electric, natural gas or liquified-gas-powered goods vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tonnes used to transport goods within a 62-mile radius of their base.

• The majority of respondents were supportive of moving them into the scope of the GB drivers' hours rules, with the greater simplicity, flexibility and uniformity with equivalent ICE vans all likely to be beneficial to those using these vans, supporting their uptake.

Speed Limiters

Views on speed-limiter rules were also investigated, as currently ZE vans between 3.5–4.25 tonnes are limited to 56 mph by built-in speed limiters.

• Most respondents viewed speed limiters as a barrier to EV adoption, and while the potential road-safety effect of removing the speed limiter is understood, it could lead to a significant increase in speeds travelled on motorways.

• Altering the additional regulatory requirements that apply to these vans for some (but not all) areas of regulation would also create a small group of vehicles with niche requirements, potentially leading to confusion and undermining the intention for regulatory consistency at the 4.25-tonne threshold, the DfT reports.

• A further consultation could gather more information about the road-safety effects of removing the speed-limiter requirement and whether maintaining it while altering other rules would undermine the intention to make it easier to use these ZE vans.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced upcoming changes to the daily congestion charges that will take effect in 2026.

From January 2026, the daily congestion charge will increase:

• From £15 to £18 if paid on the day of travel or in advance

• From £17.50 to £21 if paid within 3 days after travel

Changes to the Cleaner Vehicle Discount:

• The existing 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount ends on 25 December 2025, as originally planned (EVs will no longer be exempt).

• A new tiered system of discounts will be introduced from January 2026.

From 2 January 2026 there will be:

• 25% discount on the daily charge for electric cars registered on Auto Pay

• 50% discount on the daily charge for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles registered on Auto Pay

For more information about these changes, see here (Opens in new window).

Two-thirds of local authorities are now fully compliant with national electric vehicle (EV) public-charging standards (Opens in new window).

• 154 out of 205 councils confirmed they currently operate active public chargers, and of these, 67% reported full compliance with public charging-point regulations, up from 47% in 2024.

• The proportion of councils reporting complete non-compliance has dropped sharply to 6%, from more than a fifth (21%) previously, while those citing technical or funding challenges have fallen to 21%, down from 42% last year.

• The current public charge-point regulations framework requires charge points to offer contactless payment, maintain 99% reliability for rapid units, provide a 24/7 helpline and support open-data access via OCPI.

• From November 2025, additional measures will come into effect, including roaming interoperability and expanded open-data sharing, to make cross-network charging simpler for drivers.

Around two in five motorists overestimate the drink-drive limits, and as we approach the festive season, it is important that we urge drivers to avoid drinking if they are planning on driving.

You could face serious penaltiesdownload (pdf( if you are caught over the legal drink-drive limits — you could be imprisoned, banned from driving, or fined if you are found guilty of drink driving. Additionally, as drinking impairs our senses, the results of doing this when driving could be fatal.

Some tips to avoid drinking and driving are:

• Select an alcohol-free or soft drink if you intend to drive, as with the rise of the sober movement there is plenty of choice in alcohol-free beers, spirits and mocktails available.

• Take public transport and utilise taxis if possible.

• Arrange within a group of friends or colleagues to nominate a designated driver who will abstain from drinking when travelling.

• Avoid drinking completely or avoid attending the event.

It is also important to remember that alcohol stays in the system for up to 12 hours, so if you’re planning to drive home the next morning after a social function, you may need to consider another mode of transportation.

The Government is also launching its first drug-driving campaign in a decade (Opens in new window), which is focused on warning drivers of the devastating consequences of getting behind the wheel while under the influence.

For more tips to avoid drink driving and information about penalties, see our drink-driving penalties factsheetdownload (pdf(.

You can also check out our article on Road Safety, which provides guidance and practical advice to keep you safe on the road at all times.