An early Christmas present arrived on 24th December as the Department for Transport announced its consultation for views from industry on how to deliver on the manifesto commitment to restore the 2030 phase-out date for new purely petrol and diesel cars and vans. It was welcome news given recent uncertainty which has probably held back transition plans.
Throughout 2024, Europcar continued to support a shift in EV usage by businesses and this focus will be sustained in 2025. The fleet of PHEV and BEV vehicles continues to grow, and continued investment in our infrastructure supports customers renting electric. The key now is to give more businesses and their drivers the confidence to opt for electric.
“When business drivers have the opportunity to try out electric vans for themselves, in real-world conditions, confidence increases significantly”, explained Keith Shorter, Director of Europcar Vans & Trucks. “By renting an electric van for a few days, a week or more, charging at different locations can be experienced as well as how different chargers work and how much they cost. That’s something a standard test-drive is rarely going to be able to deliver. And long-term rental delivers the latest EV technology without a business having to make a financial commitment that might not be the right fit.”
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 are ideal entry EVs.
“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,” added 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 Europcar’s electric van solutions visit: https://www.europcar.co.uk/en-gb/p/business/fleet-services/electric
