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Posts Tagged ‘electric Vans’

Electric Kangoo

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Recently we have blogged a lot about commercial vans that run on alternative fuels and today, in keeping with the current theme, we are again thinking about those vans that are running on different fuels.

Renault Revolution

Last week we explained how electric vans were undergoing trials in Germany and that they were performing very well indeed. However, my concern was whether they would suit the everyday van drivers schedule as they have a limited range.

Well, it seems that Renault have been hard at work in pushing out their new electric powered Kangoo ZE. It is due to roll out on our streets in the North East this week.

Benfield Renault, in Newcastle, was chosen by the French manufacturer to be the number one retailer and supplier of the groundbreaking electric vehicle.

Hopes are High

They are hopeful that the electric van will sell well amongst small to medium sized businesses, and they are also hoping, in particular, that tradesman, such as plumbers for example, will be interested in the light commercial vehicle.

Of course, the government is now also offering a subsidy of up to 20% on the price, and Renault are also confident that other factors, including the relatively cheap running of the vehicle, lower tax and a pretty reasonable van insurance quote, will further attract potential customers.

History of Great Vans

Furthermore, we know Renault make great vans and the Kangoo has already won the prize for the 2012 Van of the Year, so we have no doubts that the electric Kangoo will sell well and become a regular appearance on our streets in future years.

Mark Squires, Chief Executive at Benfield, is looking forward to getting the Kangoo ZE on the streets: “This is fantastic news for Benfield Renault and our customers. As a family-owned business, we are delighted to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, and to be chosen to retail the first commercially available electric van to hit Newcastle is very exciting and a piece of history in the making.”

Meanwhile, UK Managing Director, Thierry Sybord, has been saying: “I’m delighted to see Benfield embracing this new era of electric transport.” All at Renault are unsurprisingly very excited to see the Kangoo ZE finally being offered to customers.

Tags: electric Vans, electric vehicles, Kangoo ZE, Renault Kangoo, Van Insurance, van insurance quote
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Electric Commercial Vans

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Electric van trials are being carried out in Germany in order to test whether an electric van can deal with the strain that can be put on vans each and every day. Daimler, the parent firm of Mercedes-Benz has been testing a hundred electric versions of the Vito commercial vehicle. The vans have now covered over 400,000 miles as part of a four year trial that began in the autumn of 2010. The results, thus far, look very positive indeed.

What do you think about electric vans?

The electric vans have been put through vigorous tests as they have been used for a variety of jobs including courier work, service vehicles for plant maintenance, customer service jobs and assembly and internal transport within companies.

Furthermore, the drivers have reported that they are finding that the vehicles can easily handle whatever is thrown at them, and the concerns about the battery life have somewhat reduced. The vehicles have proved that they are capable of covering 50 miles on a full charge, which in most cases is satisfactory. So, for those inner city jobs where you only have to drive a few miles at a time, an electric van could indeed be perfect for a day’s work.

Van drivers, what do you think? Would you like to glide around the city in an electric van? Or is a range of 50 miles just not good enough for you?

Van Spec

The electric Vito van will develop 60kW, with a peak torque figure of 280Nm, and the van will also be front wheel drive. The top speed is very limited; the vans will do just 55mph in order to maximise the battery range. So these vans really are just for inner city roads!

The vans will also be able to be charged at a main voltage of 380/400V and it is a process that will take up to a maximum of six hours. So the idea really does seem to be that the van will be plugged in overnight after a long days work. The vans are also likely to reduce an owner’s commercial van insurance, which will be very beneficial to all owners and businesses that will use the vans.

Faults and Worries

Whilst the German trials are seemingly going well, and whilst the drivers have reported that they are pleased with the vehicles, I do have some reservations regarding the electric vans. What if there is a power cut during the charging process and you wake up in the morning to a van that has no charge in the battery? Or, what if you need to go further than 50 miles every now and then? Nobody likes to turn down a job, but if you have to turn down a job because you are nearly out of battery life it will be very frustrating!

Maybe these concerns are very premature, and maybe they are totally unjustified. It will be interesting to get your thoughts regarding electric vans!

Tags: commercial van insurance, electric Vans, Mercedes Vans, Mercedes-Benz Vito
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Electric Transit Connect

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

On Monday we blogged about the news that the much loved, and incredibly successful, Ford Transit van was going to be built in the US as of 2013 onwards, and now, today, we bring you the news that the green Transit is to be updated for 2012. Yes that’s right, the new all electric Ford Transit is on the horizon.

The Transit Connect is primarily aimed at fleet owners who want to save on fuel and maintenance costs, and Torque News has been discussing the van after performing a road test.

No Longer a Pipedream

The original electric van was a very interesting step by Ford in their bid to become an environmentally friendly manufacturer, much like many other vehicle manufacturers these days.

The 2012 Connect will have an electric drive train, which has been designed by Azure Dynamics, which is a company with a rich history in electric vehicle design that dates back to the early 90s; a time when electric cars were a mere pipedream for a futuristic world. We are now, it seems, living in that futuristic world and electric cars are no longer a pipedream, but a reality.

Here Come the Stats

The Connect will come fitted with a Siemens AC motor, an AC controller, and a battery pack from Johnson Controls. The battery pack, Azure Dynamics has claimed, will achieve a range of 60-80 miles, which isn’t bad at all! This will however depend on how heavy the vehicle is at the time.

The commercial vehicle will take around 6-8 hours to charge and will reach 75 mph, which is more than enough when you consider that this particular van will be used in towns and cities by those who have larger fleets of vans. Of course, whilst saving owners money on their fuel, the van is also very likely to have a lower commercial vehicle insurance premium.

Alternative Fuels

With alternative fuels being developed in order to one day replace petrol and diesel it is great to see the big players focusing on producing electric vehicles alongside their petrol and diesel alternatives. Or is it? Electric vehicles do consume a huge amount of energy when being built. They also consume a huge amount of electricity once on the road, and ultimately a huge proportion of electricity is produced through the burning of fossil fuels, which causes a vast amount of pollution, and is the very resource that is running out resulting in the search for alternative fuels. Perhaps electric cars are not such a great alternative after all?

It’s certainly an interesting issue, and it would be great to hear your thoughts on it.

Tags: Alternative Fuels, commercial vehicle insurance, Diesel, electric Vans, Ford, Ford Transit, Petrol
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | 2 Comments »

The 2012 Van of the Year is…

Friday, December 9th, 2011

The ‘Van of the Year 2012’ has already been announced, and it is the Renault Kangoo Z.E. A panel of twenty two journalists that specialise in commercial vehicles decided the winner. It’s a great result for the French manufacturer and it is also the first time an electric vehicle has won the coveted prize. This simply emphasises the magnitude of the triumph by Renault.

Worthy Winner

The Kangoo was up against some very stiff competition, including the likes of the Volkswagen Caddy, the Fiat Ducato, and Iveco Daily. The Renault scored a total of 104 points out of a possible 168.

The Director of the Renault Light Commercial Vehicle division, Jean-Marie Hurtiger, has expressed his joy and pride at winning the prestigious award: “This prize rewards the work of the people at Renault who have worked for several years on the Kangoo Van Z.E., one of Renault’s four electric vehicles to be launched in the next ten months. All of the company’s functions were involved in the adventure, including the design office, the Maubeuge plant and sales.”

He went on to add further praise: “They met the challenge in a remarkable manner, showing determination, creativity and – above all – an excellent team spirit that has now produced results.”

Great Value

The Kangoo Z.E. is available in two body lengths, both of which come with the same internal dimensions as the diesel powered version. The electric van can also carry the same weight in the back and is also relatively cheap. It starts at just £16,990 plus VAT, which isn’t bad value for money! However, the batteries are not included as these have to be “hired” from the manufacturer.

Electric vehicles are also known for lowering insurance premiums, and so it is likely that you will save money in the long run on a commercial van insurance quote. All in all the electric Kangoo looks to be a brilliant little package, and Renault are confident that consumers will be making their way to their local dealerships in due course.

Tags: commercial van insurance, electric Vans, electric vehicles, Renault Kangoo, Renault Vans, Van Insurance
Posted in Van Insurance, commercial vehicle insurance | 2 Comments »

Electric car sales yet to spark into life

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

The problems besetting motor manufacturers in persuading the public to get behind the wheels of the new generation of electric vehicles has been highlighted this week by a report from industry insiders.

Only 1000 cars sold

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the sum total of electric cars sold so far this year is just 1000. The figures are amazingly low when one considers the hype surrounding the launch of the new zero emission vehicles and must come as a big blow to manufacturers who will have anticipated that companies across the UK would by this time be taking fleet insurance out on thousands of the new cars.

Public ignorant about the facts

As it is, the vast majority of the new cars that have been sold are covered by commercial vehicle insurance, and are, therefore, being used by van drivers who use their vans every single day. The public, on the whole, remain to be convinced of the benefits of the green revolution. And according to GFK report, motor manufacturers have only themselves to blame. GFK surveyed over 3,000 car drivers in the UK and found that only 1% of those asked were interested in buying an electric car. It seems that the manufacturers marketing strategy has failed miserably when such a large part of the driving population are ignoring the new technology. The report says most drivers have little idea of the cost, but were amazed when they were told, how long it takes to charge a vehicle and not much idea how far they could travel once it was fully charged.

Costing is the big factor

The creators of the report suggest the public won’t engage with the new vehicles unless they are given more details about the benefits of the cars and how they work. They also suggest entry models should be a lot cheaper, which in truth is really obvious. The cost of a new electric car, even when the Governments £5,000 subsidy, is taken into account is ridiculous. No serious car manufacturers wanting to capture the mass market launches a basic model at a price more associated with top of the range cars, and it is surely this that is holding the public back. Many people will take a chance on a quirky product if it is cheap and cheerful, and really both those words should apply to the cars that manufacturers say will revolutionise our driving habits.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Electric cars, electric Vans, Van Insurance
Posted in Advice, Van Insurance, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Economics of new breed of vehicles questioned

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

At the very moment that electric vehicles begin to make their presence felt on the byways and highways of the UK, concerns about their economic viability are coming to the fore.

Uptake on new vehicles slow

The launch of the Nissan Leaf car at the turn of the year was supposed to herald in a new era of low emission and low cost motoring. The £5,000 government subsidy and the plan to spread the network of power points for recharging electric vehicles across the UK was expected to kick start the public’s interest in the car. The same applies to the new breed of zero emission vans. The Azure Ford Transit Connect (AFTC) is now available in the UK and plenty of tradesman and more importantly, fleet management companies, are showing interest in purchasing commercial van insurance on the vehicle but the point of critical mass still seems a long way off.

Emission status not so positive

After 12 months of near hysteria in the motor trade, the launch of the new era of ecologically sound vehicles is now being called into question in several quarters. Critics of the vehicles say they don’t actually save emissions; it is just that the emissions are generated elsewhere. They point to the massive demand in electricity a nation of electric car drivers would require and say that more emissions are bound to come from power stations producing the power. The economic cost is now also being questioned.

Will initial outlay be recouped?

The new vehicles will be zero rated for road tax and the drivers will certainly avoid the weekly petrol/diesel bill that seems to growing all the time but the initial purchase price of the vehicles are much higher and experts are now questioning whether the vehicles will ever be cheaper in the long run, especially when the question of how Governments will reclaim the massive tax revenues they accrue from petrol and diesel.

Sell on value critical

Another question that a company has to ask before they organise online van insurance on electric vans is the resale price. With most companies releasing their stock after 3 years the value of the van then must be calculated before the original purchase is made. At the moment the mathematics does not look good for the new vehicles. Industry insiders have put a tentative 3 year value of the new AFTC at around 20%, whereas the cheaper Transit Connect diesel has a residual value of 33% after 3 years.

It seems as though the new generation of vehicles are not going to be a huge success until at least the economic side of the argument is plain to see for the mass markets of the UK.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Costs, electric Vans, vehicles
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Light van sales back on track in May

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

With May 2011 recording the 16th successive month for van sale growth in the UK, manufacturers of vehicles that attract quotes for commercial vehicle insurance could be forgiven for resting on their laurels. However, although the progressive march of van sales goes on unabated it is true to say new registrations for light commercial vehicles disappointed some of the sector in April.

All round sales increase

Overall the year on year figures showed a very healthy 17.3 growth and considering that light van sales dropped by almost 10% in April the rebound in sales was definitely noticeable in May. Sales of light vans were up about 12% on May 2010. In fact the number of companies purchasing van insurance cover on all types of vans increased in May. As well as light vans showing an increase of 12%, medium vans increased by 18% and heavy vans by 17%.

Thousands more coming off the production line

The story was repeated throughout the range on year to year figures as well as the year to date. Almost 25,000 more vans have been sold this year compared to the same period in 2010 and looking at the rolling year we see an increase of a figure approaching 50,000 vehicles.

Chief Exec acknowledges the commercial sector

Paul Everitt the chief executive of the SMMT, has been glowing in his praise of the commercial sector for some time now and was as ebullient as ever today saying Truck and Van sales were leading the motor industry out of the downturn. He was also quick to praise the heavy truck sector that has seen a remarkable renaissance in sales this year. Once more articulated vehicles were the stars of the sector showing an improvement of over 60% in sales.

Electric van sales may be next driver

It is vital that an industry that supports something in the region of three quarters of a million jobs is fighting its way out of recession. The advent of the new zero emission vehicles and the Government support behind the revolution may well prove to be the kick start to a new decade of growth that is desperately needed.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, commercial vehicles, electric Vans, van sales
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Electric vans promise to spark interest in the fleet business

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

A report from the UK’s largest producer of on the road electric vehicles suggests van drivers will be taking out commercial vehicle insurance on one of their vans for a much longer time than they first imagined.

Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) who are at the forefront of zero emission vehicles technology and currently have more electric vehicles working on the roads of Britain than any other manufacturer, say tests carried out on their latest lithium ion batteries used in electric vans suggests their working lives could be at least 10 years.

The change in batteries from sodium nickel chloride to lithium ion has had a profound effect on the forecast longevity of the vehicles which is illustrated by the guarantee that SEV offer on their batteries, it has gone from three years to five. Better still, engineers and scientists at the plant believe tests on their own batteries in the lab and those carried out on vehicles in the field point to only 20% deterioration in performance after 10 years.

In layman’s terms this means that if a battery when new had a range of 100 miles on a full charge then after 10 years it would have a range of 80 miles. This is brilliant news not only for SEV but for the electric commercial vehicle industry as a whole. To make matters even brighter the drivetrain on a SEV is friction free which means the vehicle does not wear to the same extent as a normal petrol/diesel engine.

Fleet managers or even sole traders could be looking at many years of comparative free motoring if this proves to be the case. The concept of much longer battery life could accelerate the changeover to electric vehicles in a manner no one expected.

A spokesman for SEV said that the robustness of the Ford Transit chassis on the SEV’s would play its part in the longevity of the vehicles and even though they expect battery technology to supersede the present day situation they anticipate there will still be a second hand market in years to come for such a reliable vehicle.

Whatever the future second hand market holds, the report may well see fleet vehicle managers negotiating contracts with SEV in the short term as fuel savings costs will play a big part in profit and loss.

Tags: electric Vans, Van Insurance
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