Hybrid and Electric Vans UK

Fully Electric Vans

Electric vans in the UK

Much like the passenger vehicle industry, there has been a recent surge and focus from manufacturers to develop fully electric vans and light commercial vehicles to meet increasing consumer demand.

The first hybrid and electric vans that came up for sale in the UK were typically smaller, short-wheelbase models such as the RenaultKangoo ZE and the CitroenBerlingo, but we are starting to see the emergence of large electric vans into the marketplace such as the Renault Master ZE and Fiat e-Ducato.

With the increased electric range and a larger payload, these larger vans are aimed to be practical for businesses that transport larger amounts of goods over longer distances. Similarly, there currently isn’t any hybrid or electric pickup trucks for sale in the UK, but the likes of Ford, Nissan, and Peugeot showing interest in the area indicates that we may see such vehicles in the near future.

How electric vans work

Electric vans are powered by a battery and an electric motor, usually stored in the front of the van under the bonnet, the motors are relatively simple with few moving parts. Batteries require charging from a charge station, or a charging socket that can be at work, home or in a public location. The government offers electric van owners and business owners a grant of up to £350 per socket for up to 20 sockets (More information of all the grants available for electric and hybrid vans here).

Is an electric van suitable for my business?

Electric vans tend to be favoured by companies who do a lot of shorter journeys; last-mile delivery companies, Local contractors and universities to name a few. They perform exceptionally well in urban environments and stop/start traffic, meaning city centre companies benefit most from the easy-going drivetrain. The introduction of larger vans such as the Renault Master ZE, Citroen e-Dispatch andFiat e-Ducato that have increased payloads and ranges has sparked interest from a new group of consumers who travel medium distances and carry more cargo.

Hybrid vans

Hybrid vans in the UK

Similarly the passenger vehicle market, hybrids have slowly increased their market share of the commercial vehicle market. Offering business with the ability to become more environmentally friendly without compromising the functionality of longer journeys. Generally, hybrid vans tend to have a larger payload than fully electric vans, due to having a smaller battery so they can typically have a larger cargo bay.

The shift towards hybrid vans has not only been driven by consumer demand but the UK government are buying into the concept, offering a number of grants for alternatively fuelled vehicles. The Department of Transport have mad a pledge to ban the sale of all non-hybrid vehicles by 2035, this including vans and LCV's, hybrid is becoming increasingly important for businesses to consider.

How plug-in hybrid vans work

Hybrid vans are different from fully electric vans in the way they use two sources of power compared to the single source used by electric vans. Most commonly they use a combination of a petrol engine and the electric battery to power the electric motor that drives the wheels. There are three different types of hybrid vehicle currently on the UK market; self charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid.

The majority of hybrid vans for sale in the UK today are plug-in hybrid (PHEV), they require being plugged into a charging station or charging socket to achieve the maximum range. The petrol engine acts essentially as a generator which charges the electric battery providing a considerably increased range and the convenience of filling up at a petrol station for longer journeys.

There are a number of mild hybrid vans currently available in the UK, these vans use their battery power to start and stop the conventional motor and at low speed they power the wheels.

Currently there are no self-charging hybrid vans available in the UK however industry leading self hybrid manufacturer Toyota showing interest in electric and hybrid vans, we could well see the introduction of a self charging hybrid version of the Proace in the future.

Is a hybrid van suitable for my business?

and no gearbox means stop/start traffic is not as tedious as it used to be. The most popular hybrid van currently on the market is the Ford Transit PHEV. However, Ford does offer a mild hybrid version which offers assistance when starting the engine and under fast acceleration. The Mitsubishi Outlander is the other plug-in hybrid electric van currently for sale in the UK.

Available Grants

The incentives available to people and businesses when setting up their electric van network are as follows:

Plug-in van grant:Vehicles that can achieve 10 miles or more on without emitting any emissions and have CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km. The government would pay for 20% of the purchase price of these vehicles, up to £8,000 maximum.
Workplace charging scheme:Reduces the purchase and installation costs off new charging stations by 75% up to a maximum of £350 per socket. A single business can claim for up to 20 sockets or charge stations. You cannot retrospectively claim, parking must be off-street and fitted by an OLEV approved installersuch as pod point.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric and Hybrid vans

Reduced running costs: The cost per mile of electric vans is on average 4p ( data from Pod Point). Plug-in hybrids are also considerably more fuel efficient and as a result cheaper per mile than their conventional counterparts .
Boost your company/brand image: Having an electric vehicle in your fleet is good for your brand image demonstrating to the public and others that you are conscious about being environmentally friendly and doing the right thing as a business.
Incentives:A large portion of both hybrid and electric vans qualify for the UK government plug-in van grant of up to £8,000 off the list price. Couple this with grants for the purchase and installation of charge stations, setting up your electric vehicle network isn't as expensive as initially thought. Incentives don't stop at the purchase phase, not being charged when driving through low emission zones and zero road tax is to name but a few on road benefits.
Performance (Comfort): Delivering instant torqueto the wheels the performance and smoothness of hybrid and electric vans are often overlooked, especially when you note that hybrid and electric vans have left automatic and manual gearboxes in the past. Arguably the performance falls off at higher speeds, but in stop-start traffic and around the city they’re head and shoulders above their conventionally powered counterparts.
Cheap to run: Despite the relatively high purchase price, electric and hybrid vehicles have fewer moving parts than conventional vehicles and hence they cost less to maintain annually.

Load capacity: Hybrid and electric vans tend to have a slightly smaller payload compared to their conventionally propelled counterparts, especially the latter due to them requiring a bigger battery which consumes the cargo space.
Performance (Speed): Most hybrid and electric vans have less power and a smaller top speed than their conventional models.
Range limitations: Electric vans still have relatively short ranges, so are not suitable for businesses that travel large distances frequently. Although hybrid vans do accommodate for businesses who travel longer distances.

Advantages
- Reduced running costs: The cost per mile of electric vans is on average 4p ( data from Pod Point). Plug-in hybrids are also considerably more fuel efficient and as a result cheaper per mile than their conventional counterparts .
- Boost your company/brand image: Having an electric vehicle in your fleet is good for your brand image demonstrating to the public and others that you are conscious about being environmentally friendly and doing the right thing as a business.
- Incentives:A large portion of both hybrid and electric vans qualify for the UK government plug-in van grant of up to £8,000 off the list price. Couple this with grants for the purchase and installation of charge stations, setting up your electric vehicle network isn't as expensive as initially thought. Incentives don't stop at the purchase phase, not being charged when driving through low emission zones and zero road tax is to name but a few on road benefits.
- Performance (Comfort): Delivering instant torqueto the wheels the performance and smoothness of hybrid and electric vans are often overlooked, especially when you note that hybrid and electric vans have left automatic and manual gearboxes in the past. Arguably the performance falls off at higher speeds, but in stop-start traffic and around the city they’re head and shoulders above their conventionally powered counterparts.
- Cheap to run: Despite the relatively high purchase price, electric and hybrid vehicles have fewer moving parts than conventional vehicles and hence they cost less to maintain annually.
Disadvantages
- Load capacity: Hybrid and electric vans tend to have a slightly smaller payload compared to their conventionally propelled counterparts, especially the latter due to them requiring a bigger battery which consumes the cargo space.
- Performance (Speed): Most hybrid and electric vans have less power and a smaller top speed than their conventional models.
- Range limitations: Electric vans still have relatively short ranges, so are not suitable for businesses that travel large distances frequently. Although hybrid vans do accommodate for businesses who travel longer distances.

Electric and Hybrid van FAQ's

How much does it cost to charge an electric van?
Data from Pod Point, one of the leading suppliers of electric vehicle charging systems, suggested it costs on average £3.64 to charge an electric vehicle from empty to full. Assuming a 100 mile range this calculates to be around 4p a mile.
Are electric vans more expensive to maintain?
Electric motors have far fewer moving parts than conventional engines, and hence there is far less that can go wrong. With regenerative ‘engine braking’ there is less wear on your brake discs so they need replacing less often.
Electric vans still require regular servicing, but most major problems are software issues and can be remotely solved by manufacturers. On a whole with no gaskets, oil and clutches to replace your biggest expense apart from a battery is a set of tyres.
Do government grants apply to finance?
Yes, the grant amount is deducted from the total cash price and from there monthly repayments deduced.
How do I claim my electric vehicle grant?
The sales person in the dealership will claim the grant on your behalf, automatically deducting it from purchase price off the car for you.
Can I overcharge my electric vehicle?
Manufacturers have developed built in cut offs to ensure leaving your electric vehicle on charge when it is full will not have a negative impact on the battery's performance.