Staying safe on the road to net zero – helping drivers make the change to EVs

How commercial fleets can keep safety front of mind as they introduce EVs. By Oliver Temple, channel sales leader EMEA & APAC, Lytx.

The number of electric vans in UK commercial fleets is growing fast. The UK government aims to phase out new diesel and petrol vans by 2035, and to achieve a net zero transport sector by 2050. Companies such as Royal Mail, which recently added its 7,000th EV, are among those able to benefit from government incentives such as grants for electric vans and tax benefits for zero-emission company vehicles. While electrification is taking place more slowly in the heavy goods sector due to the challenges of weight and range, it will soon catch up. Several fleets are already deploying zero-emission trucks as part of government trials and plans are in place to develop a national network of HGV charging stations. Motorway services operator Moto recently announced plans to install up to 300 charging bays at 23 strategic locations by 2030.

With such an intense focus on electrification, the commercial fleet sector needs to ensure that other considerations are not overlooked in the process – most notably safety. For drivers, any change of vehicle can present new risks and EVs come with their own challenges. We’ve taken a look at the factors that fleets should consider as they introduce electric vehicles.

Changing old habits

Moving to an EV can require a significant adjustment for drivers, particularly as many in the commercial fleet sector already have long careers based on driving petrol and diesel vehicles. According to the Office of National Statistics, the most common age of HGV drivers in the UK in 2025 is between 46 and 55, suggesting that driving habits are likely to be well-established. Meanwhile, those behind the wheel of commercial vans may fall into a wider age range but frequently do not regard driving as a core part of their employment. Outside the delivery sector, van fleets exist to transport specialist service providers, be those decorators, mechanics or engineers. Whether or not driving is the central focus of their work, any commercial driver will need help to adjust to the challenge of driving new vehicles.

Several ‘new vehicle’ challenges are specific to EVs. Digital dashboards may be unfamiliar, and drivers must adapt to the fact that many pedestrians are not yet attuned to the low noise level of electric engines. EVs also still have a significantly lower mileage range than fossil fuel powered vehicles, so ‘range anxiety’ can be another distraction for drivers who are not yet familiar with their vehicle and/or the location of reliable charging points.

The need for training during vehicle transition has recently been highlighted by a number of driver organisations in light of the introduction of 4.25-tonne electric vans. These can be driven by holders of 3.5-tonne commercial vehicle licences if the additional weight is attributable purely to battery weight. The handling of the heavier vehicles, however, along with their braking systems, is entirely different. Without proper training, the risks in the first few weeks of driving will significantly increase.

New technology can help

The great thing about a new generation of vehicle is that it comes with new safety technology. While commercial vehicles have not historically contained as many features as their domestic counterparts, EVs are now frequently fitted with telematics technology. This might enable the central monitoring of factors such as live location, range efficiency and battery status. In some cases, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as collision avoidance and pedestrian detection are also part of the EV package.

These features alone, however, are not sufficient. When a vehicle is fitted with ADAS technology, for example, there’s a danger that a driver may become complacent and lose concentration – a risk made greater by the other distractions already mentioned such as range anxiety and unfamiliar controls. Distracted driving has always been a hazard, but ironically it can be made worse in some cases by safety features. To combat this, HGV and van fleets are increasingly using intelligent video to help protect drivers from distraction. In some of the new generation of commercial EVs, AI-enabled cameras come as standard.

Intelligent video can help prevent accidents in the moment by identifying distracted driving as it happens. If a driver is, for example, eating a sandwich, or turning their head repeatedly to look at their mobile phone, the artificial intelligence is able to identify this as a risky behaviour and alert the driver. If these actions are repeated then the system can be configured to capture the video and communicate it to a manager, who can then identify where specific training is required. Such technology also serves to exonerate a driver in the event of an accident that wasn’t their fault.

EVs are coming. Electrification will help the planet and ultimately will save fleets money. This is great news, but it’s also an additional reminder to fleets to keep safety at the top of the priority list. We’re on the road to zero emissions, but let’s aim to achieve zero incidents on the way.