The success of car manufacturers in cutting CO2 is something BusinessCar has heralded frequently, but it’s fair to say improvements in the LCV market have been less dramatic.
But that could finally be about to change, with the European Parliament taking a keener interest in van emissions targets under intense lobbying pressure from green groups. And unlike cars, there’s not a great deal of evidence van manufacturers can point to, to illustrate progress.
But if these proposals make their way into legislation we could finally be entering a period where LCV emissions start to show serious improvement, although what the cost versus benefits will be for fleet operators remain to be seen.
Manufacturers have, despite much lobbying and public protestations to the contrary, found ways of improving car emissions without significant price rises, and they are going to have to find ways of being as clever with LCVs – at least to the point where efficiency improvements outweigh increases in terms of whole-life costs.
The difference between cars and vans is that there’s far less incentive for van operators to choose the most efficient vehicle.
While company car drivers are influenced heavily by the BIK tax they pay, the only force pushing firms towards more efficient vans is the fuel saving, which can be outweighed by purchase price, functionality or several other factors.
Pushing van makers towards cleaner vehicles is in the lawmakers’ sights, but it’s a more complex issue than they maybe realise, and the answers will only emerge over time.
