24 July 2024

Department for Transport plans to introduce vehicle battery health checks

The Labour Party, in its Plan for the Automotive Sector published last year, emphasised that providing assurances of battery health is crucial to boosting demand for used EVs.

They proposed a standardised battery health certification scheme for used vehicles, inspired by similar systems in countries like Norway.

Additionally, Labour committed to monitoring the European Union's proposals for mandatory battery state of health monitors in new EVs. Abdul Chowdhury, head of vehicle policy at the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV), underscored the government’s alignment with the United Nations Global Technical Regulation Number 22 (GTR 22) on EV batteries. GTR 22 requires accessible battery state of health monitors, such as dashboard displays, and sets minimum performance standards, which are already part of UK regulations through the ZEV mandate's warranty requirements.

Ultimately, this will be good news for consumers, as currently, fears around the battery health of used EVs is a disincentive from buying used EVs, which in turn has a knock-effect to the leasing costs of new vehicles. Greater transparency and consumer confidence will benefit everyone.

If you are considering the introduction of EVs or hybrids onto your fleet, Activa’s team of friendly experts are on hand to advise and guide you through the whole process. Call us to find out more.