Electric Van Advantages & Disadvantages

Electric vans – advantages

Let’s keep things simple, these are the major advantages:

• Eco-friendliness – electric vans produce no CO2 or NOx emissions as they drive around, meaning their widespread adoption has the potential to dramatically improve air quality, especially in urban areas.
• Running costs – typically e-vans are considerably cheaper to run than diesel alternatives. Not only is the cost per mile of ‘fuel’ (electricity) lower, there are fewer moving parts and they are less hard on their brakes, reducing maintenance costs.
• Buying incentives – also helping to lower running costs, these include the government plug-in van grant worth up to 20% off the list price (up to a maximum of £8,000), plus reduced tax burdens for both business and private use.

Electric vans – disadvantages

• Range anxiety – While driving range is improving all the time, electric vans will not travel as far on a single charge as conventional vans will on a single tank of fuel.
• Charging time – this varies, depending on the power of the charging system, but even in the best-case scenario it will take longer to recharge an e-van than to refuel a regular van. DC rapid chargers can give you an 80% charge in around 40 minutes; home charging stations can complete a full recharge overnight; a normal three-pin plug may require an entire day.
• Purchase cost – electro-mobility technology is still in its infancy, and is also made from individually expensive components (the very material that the batteries are built out of, for example), so it’s no wonder electric vans are so expensive. They are usually cheaper to run.

How much is the government plug-in van grant?

The government plug-in grant discount for vans is worth 20% of the asking price, up to a total saving of £8,000.

The discount applies to light commercial vehicles with a plug, including both hybrid and full-electric vans as long as they meet a number of rules, including having official CO2 emissions of no more than 75g/m (fully electric vehicles emit 0g/km CO2).

Other rules cover minimum top speed (50mph), minimum electric driving range (60 miles for a pure electric van, 10 miles for a hybrid), and minimum warranty length (three years / 60,000 for the base vehicle but with additional requirements for the batteries).

Comparison of official electric van driving range:

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Zero emission capable (ZEC) vehicles

• 100% pure electric vehicles are powered by a battery which drives the electric motor. They have no exhaust emissions, which means no ULEZ or Congestion Zone charge! Battery electric vehicles typically have a range of around 80 miles but some can achieve up to 300 miles
• Plug-in hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles also have a conventional diesel or petrol engine, meaning they have a longer range than with a battery alone
• Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have a fuel cell which uses hydrogen to produce electricity and power the vehicle's wheels. They typically have a range of around 300 miles

We are located in Cheam, on the London Road. We’re in very easy reach of the M25, so getting to us from London or South East England is simple. And if you need our servicing departments, just head south along the A24 toward Epsom. They’re just minutes from each other on Weston Road in the Nonsuch Industrial Estate. Getting here by public transport? Our nearest London Underground tube station is Morden. Just a 40 minute drive from London, why not come and have a look at our electric range today and see if you are ready to make the switch to electric?​​

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