Light goods vehicle

The 3.5-tonne limit of a light goods vehicle (LGV) applies to its gross vehicle weight: the maximum permitted weight of the vehicle including fuel, passengers and cargo.

Since light goods vehicles are usually allowed to travel on the same roads as cars, transportation companies often use them for the last mile of a delivery.

Energy efficiency

Light goods vehicles used for last-mile delivery are not very energy efficient. Their cargo is usually light compared with the vehicle itself, so most of the energy they use goes into moving the van rather than the cargo.

The effect is even stronger for electric light goods vehicles, whose batteries make them heavier. In terms of CO₂e emissions, however, this is more than offset by the higher efficiency of electric drivetrains and the lower carbon intensity of electricity compared with diesel or gasoline.^[1]

Combining light goods vehicles with cargo bikes

In city centers, some transportation companies deliver by cargo bike. The last-mile leg is split in two: a vehicle, often a light goods vehicle, brings packages to a micro-hub, and cargo-bike riders take them from there to the final recipient.^[2]

Electrification of light goods vehicles for last-mile deliveries

Some transportation companies have electrified part of their light goods vehicle fleets. DPD UK reported in 2026 that more than 38% of its final-mile van fleet was electric.^[3] An Post reported that more than half of its delivery fleet was electric in 2025.^[4] The United States Postal Service (USPS) operated 10,442 battery electric vehicles out of more than 262,000 vehicles in fiscal year 2025, around 4% of its fleet.^[5]

References

1. Hill, N. et al. (2020). Determining the environmental impacts of conventional and alternatively fuelled vehicles through LCA. Final Report for the European Commission, DG Climate Action.
2. Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology. Łukasiewicz – PIT and GLS are working on Poland’s first urban microhub for transshipment.
3. Trans.info (2026). DPD pushes electric vans beyond city centres with hundreds-strong order.
4. An Post (2026). An Post’s 2025 Sustainability Report marks huge carbon reduction milestone.
5. United States Postal Service. FY2025 Impact Report.