Eddie Richards and Sadie Pitman write for Logistics Business on the UK's readiness for an electric vehicle revolution

Earlier this month the British Government announced a £1 billion investment to help businesses make the switch to electric vans and trucks. 

This follows promises during the Labour General Election campaign to make Britain a clean energy superpower. Since coming into power, the Government has enacted the Great British Energy Act 2025 to establish a publicly owned clean power company. The Government is therefore well aware of the need for Britain to become independent from other nations and to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies – but whether we are now ready to encourage reliance on electric vehicles (EVs, including commercial vehicles in logistics such as eHGVs and electric vans), is another question entirely.

At this stage the UK does not have the right infrastructure to meet an increased demand for EVs, whether commercial or personal. For every 24 EVs registered last year, only one public charging device was added, whereas China for instance has more than one charger for every 10 EVs. How might the UK choose to navigate the challenges and opportunities for electric vehicle adoption?

Eddie Richards, Partner, and Sadie Pitman, Associate, in our Real Estate team, contribute to Logistics Business:

Industrial road users therefore face a dilemma – do they invest in EVs now or ride out the storm until UK infrastructure is where it needs to be? The Government needs to find the correct balance of incentives and policy to drive up usage and facilitate EV reliance. Elsewhere in Europe, charge point operators can claim credits for the clean energy it sells – perhaps one measure the UK Government will consider introducing. 

Read the full article in Logistics Business here.