Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you will know that the expansion of all electric vehicles continues to grow and the so-called Road to Zero is a reality.
Electric cars are talked about almost constantly in the news, on social media feeds and I’m sure you have seen more and more cars plugged in at service stations as charging points pop-up alongside fuel pumps …. but what about vans? Less talked about, but incredibly important especially with a massive surge in home deliveries of food and many other goods over the last two years.
Many of the major van manufacturers already have electric versions of their key models available and electric vans have started to be adopted by businesses around the UK. One example is Royal Mail which announced in June of 2021 that they were adding a further 3,000 electric vans in clean air zones, and many smaller businesses are going electric too.
What’s new in 2022?
In terms of new electric vans coming to market in 2022, one of the most notable is the electric version of the U.K.’s best-selling van, the Ford transit. The Ford E-Transit arrives this Spring and Renault’s Kangoo E-Tech is due to be available at about the same time. Mercedes is expected to bring their eCitan compact van to market at some point between July and September and Volkswagen;s ID7 Cargo is expected in late 2022. So ,there is a lot to look forward to.
What you need to think about when switching to an electric van.
If you were buying a brand-new electric van, you would be paying more for it, however a major benefit of leasing is that you will be paying your leasing cost, which is fixed of course, and there are always deals to be had.
Also, investigate any Government grants, such as the Plug-in Van Grant, and see if these are applicable to your circumstances. Our team can help you to uncover grants that might see cost savings come your way. Here’s a helpful link https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants
You will of course save on fuel costs, electricity isn’t free but the cost of running your electric van will be less that it’s diesel equivalent. Research has shown that savings can be as much as half that of running a diesel van on a pence-per-mile basis, so if you use your van predominantly in cities and don't regularly cover long distances, going electric should prove very cost-effective. If you operate in major cities with Ultra Low Emissions Zones, you will also save on the charges levied when entering the areas.
Despite perceptions to the contrary, the cost of servicing an electric van should be considerably cheaper than its diesel equivalent - potentially by as much as 40%, another benefit to take into account.
Switching to electric can cause range anxiety ,however it’s important to look at your typical daily usage - Volkswagen estimates that most van drivers only cover between 40 and 60 miles per day. The soon to be launched Ford e-Transit has a range of 126 miles so no problem there.
The issue of infrastructure and the availability of charge points is another common concern for those considering the switch to electric. Again, there are grants to help with this - the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme covers up to 75% of the total cost of purchasing and installing EV charge points at your place of work and more ‘on the road’ charging points in service stations and other parking areas are being added all the time.
A definite year of change in the van market, we will be watching closely and the Vans4Lease team are on hand to help you to navigate the Road to Zero, so for an informal chat about your van or fleet of vans and how to manage a switch to electric, don’t hesitate to get in touch - sales@vans4lease.co.uk