My month in vans – June 2026

Liam Nicholas, the Business Development Director at leading van leasing specialist Vanaways, reflects on the positive regulation changes for electric vans

MY month has started early, I realise, but an important change occurred at the beginning of June.

From 01 June 2026, zero emission vans between 3.5t and 4.25t are now treated much more like traditional vans when it comes to MOT testing and compliance.

It means you can operate these vans as you normally would if they were 3.5 tonners – so no requirement for tachos, no more yearly MOTs – rather than as a heavy goods vehicle.

What's changed?

✅ 4.25t electric vans now fall into the Class 7 MOT category

✅ First MOT due after 3 years, not annual HGV testing from year one

✅ More testing locations available nationwide

✅ Reduced compliance burden for operators

✅ Supports wider adoption of electric commercial vehicles

These vehicles have always been physically similar to their 3.5t counterparts, the additional weight comes primarily from the battery rather than increased vehicle size.

This change removes another major barrier for businesses looking at vehicles such as the Ford E-Transit, Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, Renault Master E-Tech, Toyota Proace MAX and other larger electric vans.

For many fleets, the conversation around electric vans just became a lot simpler with less red tape, more flexibility and a clearer route to electrification.

A positive step forward for the industry and all vans are available through Vanaways on terms to suit your operations and electric fleet requirements for any large van and chassis conversions.