Progress on the UK’s Road to Zero is uneven, with “clear leaders and laggards emerging across the EV transition”, according to the BVRLA’s annual Road to Zero Report Card.
The report, which explores decarbonisation progress across vehicle supply, demand and infrastructure, gives annual scores for cars, vans and trucks.
The 2026 update shows that while parts of the market are moving in the right direction, the transition is “becoming increasingly imbalanced”, it said.
Despite improving cost differences between electric cars and petrol, the impacts of continued pressure in the van market and persistent concerns around charging infrastructure are holding the transition back, according to the study.
The sharpest challenge is in vans, where “the transition is struggling to build momentum”, the BVRLA said, with operators facing a limited choice of suitable vehicles, a cost gap compared to diesel, and a charging network “at odds with how vans are used in the real world”.
The report shows the economic picture for electric vehicles is improving in some areas though. The gap between EV and ICE refuelling/recharging costs is narrowing, with the balance between petrol prices and public charging costs moving in favour of electric.
Further positive signals can be seen in vehicle repair and availability. Electric vehicles are proving cheaper and quicker to repair, challenging some of the assumptions around whole-life costs and operational risk.
Availability of more affordable models is also improving, with more than twice as many new electric cars priced under £30k compared to last year’s report.
The BVRLA is calling for continued collaboration between government and industry to ensure recent policy interventions deliver measurable impact. Among its asks are targeted support for the van market, faster delivery of reliable charging infrastructure suited to real-world use cases, and a policy framework that gives fleets the confidence to invest.
Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive, said:
“The UK does not have one EV transition. It has multiple transitions moving at different speeds. Cars are ahead of vans. Fleet is ahead of private retail. New vehicles are ahead of used. Home charging is ahead of public charging. Large corporates are ahead of SMEs. Leasing is ahead of rental. Urban use cases are ahead of rural and heavy payload operations.
“This disparity in progress is a warning light that the EV ecosystem has challenges outside of the comfort zone of company provided cars and home charging.
“The transition gives us many reasons to be cheerful, but we need to see focus shift to the areas that desperately need it.”
Image courtesy of the Green Car Guide
