CHARGING ON THE JOB: TRADESPEOPLE CAN CHARGE ELECTRIC VANS TO COVER WEEKLY MILEAGE IN BREAKFAST BREAKS ALONE

15 Jul 2025

• Vauxhall research reveals the typical tradesperson can charge their electric van to provide enough mileage for a week's worth of work through their morning breakfast breaks
• Tradespeople and those working in home repairs and maintenance will typically stop twice per week for a morning break or breakfast before reaching a customer's house
• 60% will stop for between 15 to 45 minutes for breakfast before starting on jobs - a Vauxhall Vivaro Electric can be charged from 5-80% in 45 minutes using a 100kW rapid charger
• Average tradesperson covers 191 miles per week - less than the 219-mile range (WLTP) of a Vauxhall Vivaro Electric
• On average, van drivers working as tradespeople or in home repairs and maintenance receive nine callouts per week which require them to visit a customer's address
• Tradespeople told Vauxhall their van is typically stationary for an average of four hours per day, e.g. when working at a customer's home
• 70% of electric van drivers said they think it is likely that customers would let them charge their electric van at their address while working, while three quarters would be willing to offer a discount in exchange for permission to do so
• A majority of van drivers told Vauxhall they would prefer to charge their van overnight using a home wallbox - Vauxhall SME business customers and sole traders receive a free EV home charger and standard residential installation worth up to £1,050 (inc. VAT)¹
• Vauxhall was one of the first brands to offer fully electric versions of all its vans and has sold more electric vans in the UK than any other manufacturer

Research by Vauxhall has found that UK tradespeople could charge an electric van enough to cover a full week of mileage in the time they spend taking their morning breakfast breaks alone.

In a survey of 1,000 UK van drivers who work as tradespeople or in home repairs and maintenance², Vauxhall found that the typical van owner stops twice per week for a morning break or breakfast before they start the day's work, with 60% stopping for between 15-45 minutes - time which can be used to charge an electric vehicle from the UK's network of 16,259 rapid and ultra-rapid charging points.³ Of the electric van drivers surveyed, almost three quarters (73%) already stop at least twice per week to use public rapid chargers.

The Vauxhall Vivaro Electric can be charged from 5 - 80% in just 45 minutes using a 100kW charger, while the average tradesperson travels 191 miles for work over the space of a week - less than the 219-mile range (WLTP) of a Vivaro Electric - allaying concerns that charging would take too long and eat into valuable working hours, one of the main reasons cited by 31% of petrol and diesel van drivers for not owning an electric van.

The survey participants, which included a variety of professions from builders to decorators and gardeners, also told Vauxhall that their vehicle is typically left stationary for up to four hours per day while they are at work. Those unable to reach a rapid charger would also be able to take advantage of their vehicle's down time, for example by utilising on-street chargers. Through its Electric Streets campaign, Vauxhall is working with leading charge point operators to help accelerate the number of accessible residential on-street charge points, supporting businesses to go electric by helping van drivers to top up both when they are attending residential jobs and at home.

On average, tradespeople receive nine callouts or bookings per week which require them to visit a customer's address. 70% of electric van drivers said they think it is likely that customers would let them charge their electric van at their address while working, with 78% having done this on at least one occasion and 15% doing it often. Customers with a home wallbox stand to benefit from this arrangement, with three quarters of van drivers saying they would be happy to offer an average discount of £24 for permission to charge their van at a customer's address while they work.

When asked what their favoured charging solution would be, 61% said they would most prefer to charge their van overnight using a home wallbox. Vauxhall offers electric van customers a complimentary home charger and standard residential installation (up to the value of £875 exc. VAT / £1,050 inc. VAT) through Free2move Charge, provided by Octopus Energy. This offer is available to small and medium sized business customers and sole traders, enabling them to charge with ease at their home address.¹

Steve Catlin, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: "Our research demonstrates how electric vans can easily fit into tradespeople's lifestyle, whether charging from home overnight, topping up from a rapid charger during a morning breakfast break, or charging while on the job. With most tradespeople covering less weekly mileage than the range of a Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, they can comfortably meet their charging needs - all without losing valuable working hours.

"As the UK's best-selling electric van manufacturer, Vauxhall is helping to electrify British businesses, supporting van drivers with a fully electric version of our entire van range, our free home wallbox offer for small businesses and sole traders, and our Electric Streets campaign."

As of 2021, Vauxhall was one of the first manufacturers to offer fully electric versions of all its vans and has sold more electric vans in the UK than any other manufacturer, with over 17,000 on the road. Its current line-up includes the Combo Electric, manufactured in the UK at Ellesmere Port and leading the way as the UK's best-selling compact electric van in 2025, alongside the medium-sized Vivaro Electric (also set to be built Ellesmere Port) and the Movano Electric, the largest model in the line-up with a range of up to 263 miles (WLTP).

ENDS

¹T&Cs apply

²Survey of 1,000 UK commercial van drivers (including 100 electric van drivers) conducted by OnePoll. Includes van drivers whose profession falls into one of three categories: tradesperson, home repairs or maintenance

3https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points

ABOUT VAUXHALL MOTORS

Vauxhall Motors started making vehicles in the UK in 1903. Today, it is a leader in electrification - as of 2021, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer fully electric versions of all its vans. Since the end of 2024, Vauxhall has offered a fully electric version of every model in its car and van line-up. It is the UK's best-selling electric light commercial vehicle manufacturer, with more than 17,000 electric vans on the road wearing the Griffin logo, while among its passenger car line-up, the Corsa Electric is the UK's best-selling electric supermini.

Vauxhall launched Electric Streets of Britain in summer 2023 to support the millions of drivers across the UK without access to a private driveway, with a focus on increasing the number of accessible residential on-street charge points so nobody is left behind in the transition to electric mobility. Whether you drive a Vauxhall or not, Electric Streets of Britain was created to support anyone wanting to drive an EV, welcoming drivers across the country to register their charging needs at https://www.electricstreets.co.uk

Vauxhall is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. Info: https://www.vauxhall.co.uk

Press Contacts:

Michael Lear Performance Communications

michael@performancecomms.com 07813 479 357

Lucinda Inggs PR Manager, Vauxhall

lucinda.inggs@stellantis.com 07542 394 878

Matthew Bendall Head of PR, Vauxhall

matthew.bendall@vauxhall.co.uk 07920 163 854

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