IN a significant move towards sustainability, 20% of van operators plan to use electric vans during 2019.
This high commitment to greener vehicles was revealed in the Freight Transport Association’s 2019 Logistics Report, which surveyed 500 transport and logistic firms.
More than 30% of those surveyed intended to use alternative fuels during 2019, and of those, more than 70% planned to use battery electric vehicles for van fleets.
Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban at FTA, commented: “FTA and its members are fully committed to reducing their carbon emissions wherever possible; we are not surprised, therefore, that so many intend to use electric vehicles in their van fleets but they will need assistance from government to be able to do so.”
The FTA said it wanted guidance on how the grid infrastructure was going to be upgraded; how legislators can assist with the higher cost of electric vans; plus provision of public charging points for businesses and residents.
Mrs Beedell added:
“As testament to the value it provides to the UK economy, the vans market continues to grow consistently, with 13% of survey respondents planning to increase their van fleet over the next 12 months.”
There will certainly be more choice now that fleet leader Ford has made its Transit PHEV available from late 2019.
The Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid van offers zero-emission driving capability with no range anxiety. Ford says it is the first volume manufacturer to offer plug-in hybrid technology in the one-tonne van segment.
The Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid’s front wheels are driven exclusively by an electric motor/generator, powered by a 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It uses the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine as a range extender generator. The advanced hybrid powertrain targets a zero-emission driving range of up to 31 miles or 310 miles using the range extender. Zero emission use can also be geofenced.
The FTA’s 2019 Logistics Report, launched in association with Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking, can be downloaded here: FTA 2019 Logistics Report.
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