According to the latest research by Europcar Vans & Trucks, more than half of current non-electric van drivers said they have plans to switch. However, there are still some significant barriers to making the switch. Unsurprisingly, the main hurdle standing in the way of would-be electric van users was the availability of charging points (29%), followed by purchase costs (27%) and insurance costs (25%). A quarter said having to stop to charge was a deterrent because of the impact on productivity.

“The barriers holding back van users remain clear – cost and charging”, explained Keith Shorter, director of Europcar Vans & Trucks. “Of course, charging infrastructure is improving, but as the BVRLA Van Plan has already identified, charging that is fit for purpose for van users is still limited. 

“The key now is to try to get more van users trying out the electric van experience to really understand what adjustments need to be made to ensure there’s little impact on performance and productivity.”

A commitment-free entry to electric

Working in partnership with Europcar, businesses can make a virtually commitment-free entry to electric motoring to work out how to make zero emissions a reality and lower their environmental impact. And this is business-critical for those organisations that regularly go in and out of the Clean Air Zones (CAZ), Zero Emissions Zones (ZEZ) and the London Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ).

Europcar adds small electric vans to fleet to help businesses go electric 

As part of its mission to help businesses make the switch to electric, Europcar is adding a significant volume of small electric panel vans to its nationwide fleet. Available from locations across the UK on long term flex rental of three months or more, the Vauxhall Combo Electric and award-winning Renault Kangoo E-Tech provide an ideal entry route to electric motoring. 

“Winning the hearts and minds of drivers who will need to adapt to electric van
usage is critical” added Keith Shorter. “That’s why it is our goal is to make electric commercial motoring more accessible for more businesses by providing a choice of compact electric vans that can serve multiple use-cases.”

With an electric range of 213 miles, the Vauxhall Combo Electric features both a Type 2 slow charger and CCS Rapid charger, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 80% (approx. 70 miles of driving) in as little as 26 minutes. The multi award-winning Renault Kangoo E-Tech has a driving range of up to 186 miles, and the Type 2 slow charge and CCS rapid charger minimise downtime for charging as it takes just 42 minutes to charge from 20% to 80% (approximately 105 miles of driving).

“These two small vans offer a wealth of practical, comfortable and tech features that make them perfect options for a wide range of business uses”, concluded Keith Shorter. “The rapid charging capability and long driving range mean they also offer businesses a great way to put electric vans to the test operationally, as a real-world test drive. 

“We are confident that adding these vans to the Europcar fleet will help SMEs and businesses running larger fleets reduce their carbon emissions without impacting productivity.”

To find out more about how Europcar is supporting businesses on their electric journey visit www.europcar.co.uk/en-gb/p/business/fleet-services/electric