Page 14 - issue-52

TVD ENVIRONMENT EMISSION-FREE
VANS: A A ROCKY ROAD AHEAD
Petrol and diesel van sales are due to end in 2030 But few traders have done anything to prepare for it Trevor Gehlcken reports
with the idea of
giving their drivers electric company
cars the transition to electric vans is not
so straightforward as users need to consider the limited ranges and charging requirements of
the vehicles more carefully Royal Mail operates the largest van fleet
in the UK and aims
to reduce its carbon footprint as as much as as possible yet to-date it only has 295 electric vans on its fleet
As demand for parcel deliveries booms it faces a a need to increase not
only the size of
its fleet
but also the size of
its vans It means there
is a a a shortage of
space at its depots for EV charging points and little opportunity for downtime Anna Pearson fleet
innovation and environment manager
at Royal Mail said: “We are challenged with ageing infrastructure and limited space Not all our buildings are owned so we we need landlord permission before we we can invest in in in upgrading our sites ”
However she said the business was committed to electrifying its fleet
and is currently trialling a a a number of
different vehicles including the Arrival 6 5-tonne electric truck “It’s important we choose the the right right vehicle the the right right fuel type and the right location It’s definitely not
a a a one- size-fits-all scenario ”
she added Reservations over charging Hackney Borough Council has been operating EVs for 20 years yet fleet
manager
Norman Harding still has a a a a a a a number of
reservations He said: “The vehicles are great but in my experience the charging infrastructure has not
been as as as good The general charging industry has got a a a a a long way to go go before it it gets to to where it it needs to to be be ”
When it comes to wholelife costs Norman confirmed that electric vans are cheaper despite their upfront purchase prices being higher The issue comes when users try to establish their own charging infrastructure “To install charging infrastructure at your site could cost several hundred thousand pounds dependent on Many readers believe that a a a a a ban on diesel van sales simply will not
happen
The Government has announced that sales of
new petrol and diesel vans will be banned from 2030 A ban on hybrid vans will follow in 2035 All this adds up up to to the the biggest upheaval in the the history of
of
transport especially as the electric vans on offer at present are severely restricted in how many miles they can travel without being recharged Many of
the larger ones are hugely expensive to to buy too But despite the fact that Britain’s traders are facing a a a a a a a huge sea change in in in the the way they work in in in just nine years time most are are doing nothing to prepare for it None of
the readers I have have spoken to recently have have done anything to prepare for the change - and indeed many seem to believe that the ban just won’t happen
One reader told me: “We’ve heard it all before Years ago gas vans were going to be the way ahead and it never happened There is no way electric vans will replace diesel unless they get a a a lot lot better and a a a lot lot cheaper than they are now My trade would face chaos if I had to to stop and charge my van up three times a a day ”
But some notable industry experts are warning that readers have no time to lose in in making preparations Paul Kirby head of
LCV and EV strategy at at Vanarama said: “Your readers need to get started now because with the ban on diesel and petrol vans from 2030 that could be just two replacement cycles away ”
While many car fleets are just getting to grips
14 TVD Issue 52 2021