Big announcement – Little impact!
Well, I was shocked, to say the least when the Prime Minister announced that the date for all new vans to be zero emission (although with a proportion of hybrid were being permitted) was being put back 5 years to 2035. I’ve written extensively about this elsewhere so I’ll resist the urge to have a rant here but, the really good news is that almost all manufacturers and industry leaders have said that this makes NO DIFFERENCE to their strategy.
They work years in advance and plans were already firmly in place to reduce production of ICE vans. It’s probably a good job, because the ZEV Mandate remains fundamentally unchanged – manufacturers being required to register an increasing proportion of BEV vehicles, otherwise risking a hefty fine. It’s worth noting that the curve for vans has been ‘tweaked’ since the initial proposal, making the increase in BEV / ICE ratio more gradual. Providing customer demand matches supply (there’s perhaps a bit of work to do here) I think we’ll probably be pretty much there in 2030 anyway.
New LCV Partnership
Just breaking as we go to press with the newsletter, Renault and Volvo have launched a new company to produce electric vans. Details are scant, but production of an ‘all new family of LCV’s’ is scheduled to start in 2026. Based on a modular platform for cost savings, there will be a variety of battery options and the new vehicle promises new monitoring capabilities offering fleets ‘a reduction in global operating costs of 30%’. Looking forward to hearing more about this in the future.
Retail help
Stellantis has a very strong product line up when it comes to electric vans but has recognised that having a great van isn’t always enough, especially when it comes to persuading potential first time buyers of a BEV to make the move. So, in a campaign designed to kickstart sales even further, it is offering an additional £2500 discount on its small and medium van ranges. The ‘grant’, offered on stock vehicles only until the end of the year also includes a free home wallbox installation, and £400 charging credit on an Octopus Electroverse card. That’s quite some incentive and one very much focused on the smaller business sector (SME), so It’ll be interesting to see the uptake as we approach the end of the year.
Zero emission Pick-up
There’s not a huge amount of new product news to report on this month but, in an effort to address the lack of availability of electric pick ups, Ford has announced that next year the Ranger will be available as a plug in hybrid. Although we really need to start seeing fully electric 4×4’s on the market, there are unique challenges being faced by manufacturers so, fair play to Ford in offering something that gives customers more choice. In electric only mode, Ford is aiming for a 28 mile range but, crucially, the truck will offer the 3500kg towing capacity provided by other models in the range, a facility that many pick up buyers need. It is also worth remembering that Maxus have a two wheel drive all electric Pick-up which can carry out much of the same work, but it is recognised that there are some limitations
