Consultation outcome: Driving licence flexibility for alternatively-fuelled vehicles

Published: 10 October 2023
By Chris Haycock

Consultation outcome: driving licence flexibility for alternatively-fuelled vehicles HTML

Government has consulted on changes to driving licence flexibility to support uptake of zero emission vehicles between 3,500kg and 4,250kg.

This outcome provides the responses and government’s proposed changes to legislation, which are to:

• change the types of powertrains eligible for the licence flexibility, from alternatively-fuelled to zero emission vehicles only
• remove the 5-hour training requirement
• expand the legislation to all vehicles eligible to be driven on a standard licence
• allow drivers to use the flexibility to tow a trailer in line with the rules for other vehicles

We received 89 responses to the consultation. Details of the feedback are outlined in the response document.

We are seeking views on potential changes to driving licence flexibility for alternatively-fuelled vans and other vehicles of similar weight.

The current licensing flexibility permits drivers to operate slightly heavier goods vans than the typical weight entitlement, in order to allow for the extra weight of a cleaner power system, for example, vehicles powered by a battery.

We are consulting specifically on the:

• additional training that drivers must complete to gain driving licence flexibility
• types of vehicles that should be eligible
• towing allowance of these vehicles
• powertrains that should be eligible