New research commissioned by Europcar has uncovered the challenges that are holding back electric van adoption and how that is lagging behind the decarbonisation seen in the car sector in the UK. The results are published in a white paper, ‘Van electrification: understanding barriers, identifying solutions’ which answers the critical question: ‘why is van electrification progressing so slowly?’ and shares how rental could hold the key to accelerating adoption.
61% of the fleet operators who took part in the research are already using e-vans, and 45% of those said they face challenges with the real-world range of the vans on fleet, while 33% are concerned that public charging is unsuitable for vans. Of the 39% of operators who do not yet have e-vans on fleet, 38% said this was because they do not consider electric vans to be fit for purpose and 15% put it down to cost. 46% said they would add e-vans to their fleet if they had a longer range.
With input from the BVRLA and The EV Café, as well as real-world examples of companies already seeing the benefits of electric vans, the whitepaper highlights the perceived and real-world challenges faced by fleet operators when it comes to van electrification. The report investigates where electric vans are working well and explores how a co-ordinated effort among government and all stakeholders is required to encourage more van fleet operators to make the switch.
“Vans are lagging behind cars when it comes to electrification,” commented Keith Shorter, Director, Europcar Vans and Trucks. “One reason for this is the demands that their size and weight put on battery range, making progress to longer range vehicle options much slower for vans than cars. Our research confirmed that range anxiety is holding back a considerable proportion of would-be electric fleets. However, cost, charging infrastructure and lack of knowledge also play a part.
“To encourage accelerated take-up of electric vans, we need the government to continue offering financial incentives, to see that improvements are made to ensure the existing and future charging infrastructure is suitable for vans and that amendments are made regarding regulations that impact electric vans. In the meantime, renting an electric van allows fleets to find out how zero emissions vehicles can work their business, with no risk and minimal commitment. Test drives from manufacturers and dealers are too short to be reassuring in terms of range, but rental can provide drivers with the opportunity to test e-vans in a real-world working environment.”
