Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles  - Cat B (AFV)

Course Information

In 2018, UK law was changed so that the weight limit for Category B driving licence
holders driving alternatively-fuelled vehicles could be increased from 3.5 tonnes to
4.25 tonnes

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (the 2018
Regulations) made changes to the law to allow Category B licence holders to drive
an alternatively fuelled vehicle that weighs between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes, provided it
is not driven outside of Great Britain, used for the transportation of goods, is not
towing a trailer and the driver has completed a minimum of 5 hours training.

This non-statutory guidance sets out more information on these changes to
legislation. It sets out details of the training required for drivers to take advantage of
the new law. It also describes the system of certification that will allow drivers to
prove that they have completed the training.

The guidance should be considered by any employer with employees who drive
vehicles such as delivery vans, as well as self-employed people and those using their
own vehicle for a work-related journey. It will be particularly valuable to those who
operate large goods vehicles and those who are responsible for fleet management of
goods vehicles.

Reducing emissions from vans is key to combatting climate change and improving
urban air quality. Vans account for a growing share of total UK vehicles, and have
both higher utilisation rates and higher emissions than cars. Government is keen to
support the low emission light commercial vehicles sector in increasing its access to
cleaner alternatives.

Alternatively-fuelled vehicles can have an increased kerb weight compared with their
conventionally fuelled counterparts. Licencing regulations mean, driving a vehicle
with a maximum authorised mass of more than 3.5 tonnes would normally require a
Category C1 licence. Therefore, operators of alternatively-fuelled vehicles wanting to
remain below this regulatory threshold must either suffer a constrained payload or
employ drivers with a category C1 licence. This entails higher staffing costs, and in
practice is holding back many fleets from adopting alternatively fuelled vehicles.

The recent changes to legislation should make it easier for organisations to introduce
alternatively fuelled vehicles into their fleets.

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What is an alternatively-fuelled vehicle?

For the purposes of this guidance "an alternatively fuelled vehicle" means a motor
vehicle powered by:

a. electricity, natural gas, biogas or hydrogen; or
b. hydrogen and electricity;

Overview of training requirements
Drivers who wish to take advantage of the new legislation must carry out a minimum
of 5 hours of training on driving alternatively fuelled vehicles.

Training may only be provided by members of the only two government recognised
LGV training registers. We are an approved training and exam centre with instructors available for AFV training: 

• National Register of LGV instructors (NRI) 

This training can be delivered at your site nationwide.