Battery-powered delivery vans weighing over seven tons could prove to be cheaper to own and run than traditional diesel vehicles by the early 2020s, according to delivery giant UPS.

The prediction is a major boon for Government’s plan to accelerate the number of electric vehicles on British roads, despite concerns that the most polluting vehicles may struggle to adapt due to the toll they would take on the power grid.

The multinational shipping and logistics company already plans to increase the number of electric mega-vans in its London fleet to help tackle the capital’s rising road emissions, but the move could accelerate its profits too, according to the group’s sustainability boss Peter Harris.

Mr Harris told The Daily Telegraph that the cost of putting an electric van on the road, including its power costs, will be lower than the equivalent costs of its diesel counterpart within a few years.