With the onset of increasing environmental responsibilities, more and more operators are looking to clean-up their older vehicles. Data from the Department for Transport shows nearly three million pre-Euro VI diesel vans and more than 250,000 pre-Euro VI HGVs were in operation in the UK at the end of 2018, representing a challenge to meeting ambitious emissions targets.
New vehicles are expensive, and the used market is not prepared for the anticipated surge in demand in the next two years. So, could retrofitting be an option?
Retrofit solutions, if intended for use in a Clean Air Zone, must be approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). The first accredited HGV retrofit solution became available this year and is suitable for certain Euro IV/V Mercedes models. It costs around £17,000, meaning that a vehicle is likely to require a significant lifespan for retrofit to become viable. This typical price effectively limits the potential market to just Euro V models, representing 22 per cent of the UK HGV vehicle parc.
Retrofit solutions for other OEM models – namely Volvo and Scania – are aiming for accreditation by March 2020 at an expected cost of between £15,000 and £20,000.
There are no van retrofits currently available, although the growth in the bus and HGV retrofit markets suggests this may change soon. Vans were one of the last vehicle types to adopt Euro VI standards in 2016, and there were over one million Euro V vans in operation at the end of 2018. In addition, the working lifespan of a van is typically 16 years, approximately 4.5 years longer than an HGV.
Furthermore, the van retrofit market may be held back due to the cost of retrofit when compared to the value of the vehicle, with estimates ranging from £4,000 to £10,000. With the cost of a van significantly less than an HGV, it may be cheaper to replace the vehicle. There’s more information on the Energy Saving Trust’s website: Energy Saving Trust
FORS is interested in speaking to operators of Euro V DAF CF rigid models with a view to getting involved in retrofitting.
Please contact enquiries@fors-online.org.uk for more information.
