You still need a truck driver’s license for electric commercial vehicles.
Well, there you are with your good behavior. If you have just upgraded your fleet to commercial vehicles (all electric), you are faced with a new problem. All drivers must obtain a truck driver’s license.
Now it is not the case that it was promised that this would not be necessary, but it may be a major setback. The government is dealing with several issues. Firstly, it would like to see diesel vans disappear in favor of electric commercial vehicles.
The disadvantage of an electric commercial vehicle is usually the very small range. So you need a huge battery to come close to a conventional commercial vehicle. Batteries have very poor energy density compared to a liter of diesel. This in turn makes the electric commercial vehicle extremely heavy.
Truck license for electric commercial vehicle
In some – certainly not all – configurations, this may mean that the commercial vehicle weighs more than 3,500 kg when fully loaded. It used to be the rule that anything over 3,500 kg must be driven by a driver with a large driver’s license. For now there is a kind of tolerance arrangement, up to 4,250 kg. Officially, according to the letter of the law, you still need a truck driver’s license, but due to a tolerance scheme, there are circumstances in which you can still drive a heavy electric commercial vehicle.
Well, that’s coming to an end. Outgoing Infrastructure Minister Mark Harbers has let us know. This means that the special position we are currently in will no longer exist. That will not be immediately or at the start of the new year.
No, the arrangement or exception will remain in force for another six months. From July 1, 2024, the intention is that everything above 3,500 kg must be driven by people with a truck driver’s license.
That’s logical in itself, right?
There are several types of truck driving licenses. A C1 driving license is sufficient for most electric commercial vehicles. That is for 3,501 to 7,500 kg.
Mark Harbers (he will not return to this cabinet) finds it very annoying that entrepreneurs are now being forced to incur costs. First, companies had to invest in electric commercial vehicles, but now drivers also have to get a new driver’s license.
The big problem is that a legally undesirable situation has now arisen. In addition, Harbers agrees with the reason why drivers of heavy commercial vehicles need a truck driver’s license. The drivers of heavier vehicles must also be able to drive for this. That sounds quite logical, right?
Photo credit: Hummer H1 EV in its natural habitat by @RubenPriest via Autoblog Spots.
This article Truck driving license STILL necessary for electric commercial vehicles first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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