Consultation outcome

Consultation outcome: driving licence flexibility for alternatively-fuelled vehicles

Updated 10 October 2023

Executive summary

In 2019, the government committed to meeting net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to ensure the United Kingdom ends its contribution to climate change. To achieve this, all new cars and vans will need to be zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035. The move to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) is essential to meeting our legally binding net zero target.

The zero emission van market is growing. In 2022, more plug-in vans were sold in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. However, it remains at an earlier stage of development compared to the car market. Drivers should be able to use a zero emission van with as much ease as a petrol or diesel equivalent. Certain characteristics of vans, such as their payload, mean that they require further support in their transition to zero emissions.

Current UK rules provide flexibility for standard (category B) licence holders to drive alternatively-fuelled goods vans with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 4,250kg, above the standard 3,500kg entitlement. Above this weight, a driver normally requires a category C or C1 licence. This involves additional costs for the user, including further training and testing, medical examinations and a driver certificate of professional competence (DCPC) if the vehicle is intended to be driven for commercial use.

Typically, alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) have an increased mass compared to their petrol and diesel equivalents. This is due to the additional weight of their powertrain, including the battery. Despite this extra weight, these vehicles are equivalent in function and appearance to large petrol and diesel vans. Flexibility to allow category B licence holders to drive AFVs was introduced to avoid constraining payload for operators using cleaner, alternatively-fuelled options, predominantly battery electric vehicles.

Despite this flexibility, the zero emission van market continues to face challenges. Engagement suggested that further measures are needed to support the uptake of AFVs. That is why, in summer 2022, we consulted on measures to optimise the licence flexibility. We sought views in 4 key areas:

• current additional training requirement
• types of vehicles eligible for the flexibility
• towing allowances
• types of fuels eligible for the flexibility

This response sets out our final policies following the consultation.

Table 1: summary of final policies

Policy area	Summary of final policy
Types of fuels eligible for the flexibility	We want legislation to support the government’s commitment to meet net zero emissions by 2050. We will legislate to only allow zero emission vehicles to access this licence flexibility.
Additional training requirement	Drivers should be able to adopt a zero emission van with as much ease as a petrol or diesel equivalent. We will remove the 5-hour training requirement.
Types of vehicles eligible for the flexibility	Other ZEVs, beyond goods vans, should continue to be supported in their switch to zero emissions. We will expand the flexibility to all vehicle types.
Towing allowances	ZEVs should be subject to the same towing rules as equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. We will legislate to allow ZEVs operating under the licence flexibility to tow a vehicle and trailer combination up to 7,000kg MAM. This will be under the same conditions as equivalent ICE vehicles and will reflect recent changes to B+E licence entitlements.

Introduction

In summer 2022, the government consulted on reforming driving licence flexibility for large, alternatively-fuelled vans. The consultation was designed to further support the transition of the large AFV market to zero emissions and to acknowledge the support needed by these vehicles given their additional weight requirements. The government sought views in 4 key areas:

Response to the consultation

The government received 89 responses. There were 27 responses from individuals and 62 from organisations. Respondents included vehicle manufacturers, commercial fleets, training bodies and individual drivers. All responses have been considered when forming the final set of policies.

Government’s proposed approach to legislation

Our final policy decisions will require amendments to legislation to remove the training requirement, expand the flexibility to all eligible vehicles, allow vehicles to tow an equal amount to their ICE equivalent and only allow zero emission vehicles to access the flexibility.

This policy applies to Great Britain only. Driving licence policy is devolved to Northern Ireland and Department for Transport (DfT) officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations, including the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Types of fuels

The current licence flexibility legislation defines ‘alternative fuel’ as:

• electricity
• natural gas
• biogas
• hydrogen
• hydrogen and electricity (hybrid)

While some of these fuels are zero emissions, others emit carbon and various pollutants from the tailpipe. Consequently, some fuels would not meet the requirement for all new cars and vans to be zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035.

Our consultation sought views on redefining which vehicles are eligible for this flexibility. The 2 main options were:

• allowing only ZEVs
• retaining only the list of alternative fuels

Fifty-six per cent of respondents supported only offering the licence flexibility to ZEVs. Several responses noted that the production and uptake of gas-powered vans is very small, with electric vehicles being the clear market preference for decarbonisation.

A quarter of responses favoured retaining the current rules. Most of these submissions cited the benefits of the extra flexibility offered by the current alternative fuels definition, particularly for hard-to-transition use cases. Stakeholder engagement suggests that gas-powered vans are not being actively explored by vehicle manufacturers.

While no responses indicated that they operate this type of vehicle, a small number noted that only allowing ZEVs could penalise drivers who operate gas-powered vans under existing rules. DfT statistics show that the number of registered gas-powered vans in this weight range is in single digits.

The remaining respondents did not have a view.

The government will legislate to only allow zero emission vehicles to access the licence flexibility. This will ensure regulations are supporting the cleanest vehicles in line with our decarbonisation objectives.

Training requirement

Currently, a category B licence holder must undertake 5 hours of additional training before being permitted to operate AFVs weighing between 3,500kg and 4,250kg on public roads. This requirement does not apply to equivalent ICE vans, which fall under the 3,500kg threshold.

Our consultation sought views on removing or reforming the training requirement to remove this additional regulatory step for drivers choosing cleaner vehicles. It also considered the potential constraints on instructor availability as more drivers switch to ZEVs.

Seventy-two per cent of respondents supported removing the training requirement. Twenty-three per cent of respondents supported reforming the training and expanding the pool of eligible instructors. The remaining 5% preferred the status quo.

Consultation responses did not provide any evidence to demonstrate a material safety risk from allowing category B licence holders to operate slightly heavier vehicles. Users of the licence flexibility did not report any differences between accident rates for their 4,250kg AFVs and 3,500kg ICE vans. Several respondents noted that some characteristics of electric vehicles, such as regenerative braking and a low centre of gravity due to the weight of the battery, can support safer driving.

Most respondents noted the disincentive of the additional cost of the training. This was a particular concern for fleet operators with high driver turnover. These respondents highlighted the additional costs of taking drivers out of work and procuring agency cover during the training period. Equivalent ICE vehicles are not subject to these extra costs.

Some respondents noted that the extra weight of ZEVs could make them more damaging in a collision and thus supported retaining the training requirement. These responses also supported enabling more instructors to deliver the training to avoid constraints on availability and reforming the training to include practical experience for drivers.

In the absence of evidence to support the need for training and due to the additional costs for drivers of ZEVs, the government will legislate to remove the training requirement. This will reduce the barriers to drivers making the switch to ZEVs. However, DfT will continue to work with the DVSA, industry and other parts of government to communicate information drivers need to operate an AFV safely and responsibly, particularly in relation to safe loading and vehicle handling techniques.

Types of vehicles

Currently, the licence flexibility only applies to vans carrying goods and does not include any other vehicle types, such as minibuses. The flexibility was introduced to ensure that goods vans did not need to reduce their available payload when switching to AFVs.

Increasingly, other types of vehicles are becoming available as ZEVs, of which many have additional weight requirements (such as wheelchair accessible equipment). The extra powertrain weight can limit which drivers can operate these vehicles without further training and a higher licence entitlement.

The government consulted on expanding the types of vehicles which are eligible for the licence flexibility. Seventy-five per cent of respondents supported making more vehicles eligible. The majority of these responses were in favour of including all of the above use cases. Responses cited the environmental and economic benefits of allowing more drivers to operate cleaner vehicles, improving the business case for their transition to zero emissions.

Respondents noted other examples of vehicles which would benefit from the licence flexibility, in addition to those referenced in the consultation. This included, for example, construction and traffic management vehicles.

Conversely, 13% of respondents did not support expanding the licence flexibility to other vehicle types. They noted that allowing category B licence holders to operate additional vehicle types beyond their normal weight entitlement could represent a safety risk. However, no clear evidence was provided to support this view. The remaining group of responses did not express a view on expanding the licence flexibility to different vehicle types.

To account for the weight of specialised equipment needed for disabled users, such as a wheelchair ramp, category B licence holders are currently allowed to operate vehicles up to 4,250kg. Respondents highlighted the importance of maintaining this allowance despite any other licence changes. The government is committed to ensuring that no user groups are left behind in the transition to ZEVs. Therefore, the government will legislate to allow category B licence holders to operate ZEVs up to 5,000kg MAM to account for the weight of the clean powertrain and the use of specialised equipment needed for disabled users. Other wider conditions, as above, will continue to apply.

The government will legislate to extend the licence flexibility to all vehicle types to support the transition to zero emissions. This will only apply to ZEVs which would weigh 3,500kg or less without the extra weight of their clean powertrain. All existing conditions applying to specific vehicles, such as age limits and passenger numbers, will continue to apply.

Towing a trailer

Category B licence holders who passed their test before 1 January 1997 may drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM. Recent changes to B+E licence entitlements mean that those who passed their test after 1 January 1997 can now tow a vehicle and trailer combination up to 7,000kg MAM without needing to take a further test. The DVSA recommends car and van drivers complete accredited trailer training before they tow for the first time. It also recommends the scheme for those drivers who tow regularly, as a chance to refresh and formalise their practical experience.

The current AFV licence flexibility for vehicles weighing between 3,500kg and 4,250kg does not allow category B licence holders who passed their test after 1 January 1997 to tow a trailer. This reduces the appeal of AFVs for users requiring towing capability. When the flexibility was introduced, few, if any, AFVs could tow a trailer. Recent developments in technology mean that an increasing number of AFVs with towing capability are entering the market.

Our consultation sought views on establishing a towing allowance for category B licence holders driving AFVs under the licence flexibility. The consultation proposed a 7,000kg limit for vehicle and trailer combinations in line with the recent changes to B+E licence entitlements. We also sought views on alternative weight limits.

Respondents were supportive of the 7,000kg limit for vehicle and trailer combinations, with 72% in favour. Many highlighted the disparity in towing rules following the recent changes, noting that this could disincentivise ZEV uptake. Several responses noted that ZEVs are unlikely to become significantly lighter before the phase-out date, stressing the need for flexibility to support the transition of use cases with towing requirements.

Ten per cent of responses supported establishing a towing allowance but setting a lower limit than 7,000kg combined MAM. These figures varied, with most suggesting a trailer allowance of between 750kg and 2,000kg, citing the higher weight of ZEVs under the flexibility compared to 3,500kg ICE equivalents.

Seventeen per cent of respondents did not support allowing category B licence holders to tow under the flexibility, citing the additional handling considerations when operating a vehicle and trailer combination. While accounting for this view, no clear evidence was presented to demonstrate a material safety risk from allowing category B licence holders to operate a vehicle and trailer combination up to 7,000kg MAM. Several were concerned about minibuses having a higher towing allowance given the extra risks associated with carrying multiple passengers. The usual conditions, such as those required to tow a trailer when driving a minibus, will continue to apply.

The remaining respondents did not offer a view as they do not have towing requirements.

The government will legislate to allow category B licence holders operating ZEVs weighing between 3,500kg and 4,250kg to operate a vehicle and trailer combination up to 7,000kg MAM. This change will only apply to category B licence holders who would be eligible to tow up 7,000kg MAM without the extra powertrain weight in line with recent changes to B+E entitlements. The ZEV must still not exceed 4,250kg. All existing conditions applying to specific vehicles, such as separate towing licences for minibuses, will continue to apply.

Equality duty

As part of the section on vehicle types, we sought views on including wheelchair accessible vehicles in the licence flexibility to accommodate the weight of their specialist equipment and support more zero emission journeys.

Several consultation responses noted the interaction between this proposal and the existing uplift to account for the weight of equipment for disabled users, such as a wheelchair ramp. The government will legislate to allow category B licence holders to operate ZEVs up to 5,000kg MAM to account for the weight of the clean powertrain and the use of specialised equipment needed for disabled users. Other wider conditions, as above, will continue to apply. This will support the transition of more vehicles to zero emissions, including those designed to support the transport needs of disabled users.