Discussion
Smiljan said:
So it’s anecdotal data from your company experience understood thanks. I love it when people just throw random percentages around as if they’re facts,
95% sure you’ll think I’m wrong.
72.6% of statistics are made up any way 95% sure you’ll think I’m wrong.
I'd say more experience from years of selling electric cars and vans. I think we're not far off the tipping point though.
As has been said, it seems ther're not quite there yet.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I’m looking at changing from my 6yo Transit Custom. Max I do each day is about 100 miles I don’t carry particularly heavy loads most of the time and the Custom is probably bigger than what l need the Expert, Dispatch etc is probably a more suitable size.
Think the range of the vans is putting me off at the moment the hassle of charging every day seems like a pita. My business has no premises so would have to end up keeping the van on the drive all the time.
Think the range of the vans is putting me off at the moment the hassle of charging every day seems like a pita. My business has no premises so would have to end up keeping the van on the drive all the time.
Update 
After watching 5th Gear's test of the electric Transit, where they loaded it with a tonne and covered 120 miles, I had one on demo yesterday.
I loaded it with 800Kg, and it comfortably did what we would regularly use it for, when i delivered it back it had covered 100 miles, and had 25% charge left, with an indicated range of 43 miles remaining.
Overall I was very impressed, it was very smooth, pulls really well, the one I had was the higher spec with 360deg cameras, heated seats +.
They are stock vehicles these days, so it'll be interesting to see what the lease deals look like.
After watching 5th Gear's test of the electric Transit, where they loaded it with a tonne and covered 120 miles, I had one on demo yesterday.
I loaded it with 800Kg, and it comfortably did what we would regularly use it for, when i delivered it back it had covered 100 miles, and had 25% charge left, with an indicated range of 43 miles remaining.
Overall I was very impressed, it was very smooth, pulls really well, the one I had was the higher spec with 360deg cameras, heated seats +.
They are stock vehicles these days, so it'll be interesting to see what the lease deals look like.
I'm glad it will work for you.
We had an Openreach engineer visit our premises in a van covered with 100% electric stickers. I asked him how he was getting on with it. He has to plan his day around charging it at lunchtime and regularly has to book one to two hours overtime in an afternoon to charge it to get him home!
We had an Openreach engineer visit our premises in a van covered with 100% electric stickers. I asked him how he was getting on with it. He has to plan his day around charging it at lunchtime and regularly has to book one to two hours overtime in an afternoon to charge it to get him home!
Legacywr said:
He must be covering quite a few miles then?
The van’s obviously not fit for everybody’s business.
I agree. Great for some, not for others. He was doing around 100 miles a day in hilly terrain (Halifax area) with a full load all the time.The van’s obviously not fit for everybody’s business.
The problem with a company like Openreach is that it's a box ticking exercise from someone at head office who has probably never driven a van. They can shrug off any costs and simply pass them on to me and you as consumers.
RicksAlfas said:
Legacywr said:
He must be covering quite a few miles then?
The van’s obviously not fit for everybody’s business.
I agree. Great for some, not for others. He was doing around 100 miles a day in hilly terrain (Halifax area) with a full load all the time.The van’s obviously not fit for everybody’s business.
The problem with a company like Openreach is that it's a box ticking exercise from someone at head office who has probably never driven a van. They can shrug off any costs and simply pass them on to me and you as consumers.
How long until such companies employ AI to optimise engineer workflow and travel including van charging and even optimisation of what is loaded onto the van? - Amazon do this already for their vans, loads and routes, the same AI also accounts for all warehouse operations so the entire operartion is synchronised by a single all seeing entity.
One way or another these early days problems have a habit of being solved by looking at the factors surrounding the problem, which can have an impact even if the core problem (battery density > range) isn't itself quickly addressed.
Big companies might seem naïve to tick boxes and jump on board early doors... and often they are. But also quite often by 'going there' and encountering problems, they become a major part of finding and proving the fixes.
Legacywr said:
Update
After watching 5th Gear's test of the electric Transit, where they loaded it with a tonne and covered 120 miles, I had one on demo yesterday.
I loaded it with 800Kg, and it comfortably did what we would regularly use it for, when i delivered it back it had covered 100 miles, and had 25% charge left, with an indicated range of 43 miles remaining.
Overall I was very impressed, it was very smooth, pulls really well, the one I had was the higher spec with 360deg cameras, heated seats +.
They are stock vehicles these days, so it'll be interesting to see what the lease deals look like.
So in winter it would likely have 0% charge left after the 100 miles, something to factor in.After watching 5th Gear's test of the electric Transit, where they loaded it with a tonne and covered 120 miles, I had one on demo yesterday.
I loaded it with 800Kg, and it comfortably did what we would regularly use it for, when i delivered it back it had covered 100 miles, and had 25% charge left, with an indicated range of 43 miles remaining.
Overall I was very impressed, it was very smooth, pulls really well, the one I had was the higher spec with 360deg cameras, heated seats +.
They are stock vehicles these days, so it'll be interesting to see what the lease deals look like.
TheDeuce said:
It's highly likely that as battery tech improves and various other technologies converge the situation will rapidly improve.
The gen2 eSprinter due late this year/early next has an official range of circa 250 miles, and one recently did 295 on a single charge. The new EA electrical van platform is due in 2025/6 and should improve the range further.Most of our customers are leasing electric vans as they know the technology is moving pretty quickly the older tech models are taking a kicking on residual values
Fast Bug said:
TheDeuce said:
It's highly likely that as battery tech improves and various other technologies converge the situation will rapidly improve.
The gen2 eSprinter due late this year/early next has an official range of circa 250 miles, and one recently did 295 on a single charge. The new EA electrical van platform is due in 2025/6 and should improve the range further.Most of our customers are leasing electric vans as they know the technology is moving pretty quickly the older tech models are taking a kicking on residual values
I guess the true cost of a commercial vehicle to a company for the time they run it is pretty low though and whatever the final loss of value they'll save the CT on the loss. Coupled with the reduced running costs have you had many owners upset?
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