Owners of electric vans are being warned that 12-volt batteries could “suddenly” run out leading to vehicles being stranded at the roadside.
Operators of fleets and other business vehicles have been issued with an urgent warning that the 12-volt battery on their electric vans could unexpectedly “go flat”.
This may leave them unable to start the vehicle, resulting in them paying hundreds of pounds to have a breakdown service help them, and in extreme cases, extra costs to replace the battery.
The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) says fleets are reporting that some electric vans are seeing batteries drain rapidly.
Some electric van owners have reported issues with their 12-volt batteries
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There have even been some cases in which the battery in the electric van has died even though it has been connected to a charging station.
Paul Hollick, Chair of the AFP, said: “This is definitely a significant issue on e-LCVs (electric light commercial vehicles), especially those that when charging, the (12v) battery is not being topped up.
“It is not an isolated fleet and seems to be an issue for all e-LCV fleet deployments,” he told Fleet News at 10.
Fleet vehicles could be particularly at risk given the frequency in which they stop for long periods of time in between uses.
Lorna McAtear, head of fleets at the National Grid, said this could be a reason for the issues people have seen, adding that the 12-volt batteries charge when the vehicle is being driven.
She also said this was not unique to electric vans and had been seen in diesel vehicles in the past, although said “it’s happening much quicker than we all expected” in EVs.
McAtear added: “Fleets are early adopters, and everybody is still learning, but it’s frustrating that some manufacturers aren’t listening to our feedback and instead they blame the kit we put on commercial vehicles such as telematics or LED lighting.
“But National Grid doesn’t have telematics in our vehicles, and we’ve still got the problem.”
Some experts, including Hollick, have suggested installing a solar panel on the roof of an electric van to solve the issue, although it has been estimated that it would cost around £800 per vehicle.
AA data shows that there have been more faults with 12-volt batteries in electric vans compared to diesel vans over the last 12 months.
Lee Houston, EV technical liaison engineer at the AA, suggested that it could be because the 12-volt battery is not supported when the vehicle is charging.
He added that manufacturers are constantly improving their vehicles and providing over-the-air updates to address these issues, meaning rates could drop over the coming years.
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Drivers are able to save up to £5,000 on electric vans through the Government's grant scheme
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Drivers can get discounts on the price of their electric vehicles thanks to the Government’s plug-in grant scheme, including a maximum discount of £2,500 for small vans.
The grant is eligible for vehicles that weigh less than 2,500kg, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and are able to travel at least 60 miles. Popular brands like Citroen, Fiat, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota and Vauxhall are included.
A similar offer is available for large vans, weighing between 2,500kg and 4,250kg with a maximum grant of £5,000.