In the never-ending quest to provide clean and green transport that won’t ultimately poison our world with noxious gases, the ultimate goal – the hydrogen fuel-cell – is already within our grasp.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has already built a handful of fuel-cell powered Sprinter vans that emit nothing but water vapour, while fuel-cell powered buses are on trial in cities across the world.

The bad news is that, as yet, such technology will set you back around £1 million per van – and we haven’t yet found an environmentally-friendly way of actually producing hydrogen.

The latest estimates from Mercedes-Benz is that these environmentally-friendly vehicles will be available at prices we can all afford in about 15-20 years’ time – which leaves a large environmental gap to fill in the meantime.

In the last issue of Fleet Van we looked at the emergence of compressed natural gas as a viable alternative to petrol and diesel in light commercial vehicles.

Now we turn our attention to electric and hybrid power.

The reason for this surge of interest is the recent announcement from the Department for Transport (DfT) that it is providing money to trial electric and hybrid powered vans over a three-year period, a move that could ultimately bring this technology very much into the mainstream fleet arena.

UK van fleet operators are wary of new ideas, having been stung badly in the past by being persuaded to embrace costly new ideas.

LPG became a fad but fleets were left with falling residuals and vans that were no longer cost effective when the Government dropped the subsidies.

However, there is a growing groundswell of opinion that whatever the cost, we all have a duty to try and cut down on noxious emissions where we can.

Many fleets are also realising that by bragging about their green credentials, they are more likely to clinch valuable deals with environmentally-aware businesses and local councils.

The DfT has drawn up a list of preferred suppliers for its trials – Modec, Smith and Allied Vehicles, all electric van manufacturers, together with Ashwoods, which retrofits electric/diesel hybrid systems.

Suppliers that submitted proposals were assessed against a range of criteria, including anticipated carbon savings, wholelife environmental impact, performance and reliability, value for money, level of innovation and technological development and credible plans for mass market commercialisation.

Trials will take place in the fleets of partner organisations selected for their environmental track-record and fleet-greening aspirations.

These include Royal Mail, Environment Agency, the Metropolitan Police, HMRC, Transport for London, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and six local authorities – Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle & Gateshead, Leeds, Coventry and Central London.

Vehicles will initially be trialled in limited numbers of 100-150 vans.

The DfT will provide grants towards the extra cost of buying the vehicles as opposed to conventional diesel-powered models.

Over the next three pages we look at some of the vans on offer.

Electric vans provide a greener solution for Britain's short-haul fleets

There is nothing new in electric powered vehicles – anyone born just this side of the Second World War will remember as a child the whine of an electric milkfloat, bringing milk for the morning’s breakfast.

Battery technology has improved dramatically since then, but the basics remain the same – smooth, quiet vehicles that emit no emissions at all apart from a faint hum.

The benefits of electric power are many – apart from the fact that they don’t emit any noxious gases, there are fewer moving parts than in a combustion engine, so there should be fewer breakdowns and repairs.

But there are drawbacks. An electric van will set you back around double the price of a conventionally-powered one and it will travel at best only around 100 miles before running out of power.

Smith Electric Vehicles builds three vehicles – the 7.5-tonne gvw Newton, the Edison (a Ford Transit with an electric motor) and the Ampere, which is an electric-powered Ford Transit Connect.

The vehicles are supplied by Ford under a special agreement and are adapted by Smiths. Darren Kell, CEO at Smith Electric Vehicles, is under no illusion about his vehicles.

He told Fleet Van: “We know that our vehicles are not for everyone – we can’t compete in the long haul sector as they have a maximum range of 100 miles between charges.

"But most city delivery operations do no more than 75 miles a day and in this arena, all the perceived drawbacks that used to exist have been wiped out.”

One hundred miles doesn’t sound a huge distance, bearing in mind that if a van runs out of battery power it can’t be pushed to the nearest garage for a fill-up, but Kell maintains that the distance is plenty for the average city delivery driver. He said: “A full battery will last all day.”

However, fleets have concerns over heavy-footed drivers and the impact of hills and heavy loads on the claimed range of electric vans. They suggest that 100 miles is optmistic in real-world driving.

Another worry for fleets is residual values.

Only a few years back, LPG vans were trumpeted as the saviours of the planet before the Government pulled the plug on subsidies and used values plummeted.

Kell sees no such problems with electric vans. He said: “At present there is huge demand for used electric vans and we see that situation continuing.

"If we assume the worst, these vans will make the same as equivalent diesels but they should be worth a lot more.

"We are talking to the used guides at present (CAP and Glass’s) and some of the big leasing companies have awarded better residuals than for diesels, which is great news for us.”

 

Meanwhile, one UK electric vehicle maker – Aixam – is pushing its own good range of small electric vans and trucks, despite being excluded from the Government scheme.

Aixam general manager Lawrence Holland said the company had been willing to take part in various initiatives, including the scrappage scheme and the electric vehicle trials in major towns and cities, but has been refused each time.

He said: “We have been told this is because our vehicles are legally described as quadricycles, rather than as cars, owing to their lighter weight and lower power output.

“In terms of the environmental agenda, this is a nonsensical distinction to be making.

“We make vehicles for private motorists and a range of trucks and vans which have a wide range of practical applications in an urban environment.

"They meet all the Government’s criteria for electrics in terms of speed, safety, emissions, range and recyclability.”

The Government’s estimates show that 22% of the UK’s carbonemissions come from transport and that the adoption of electric vehicles capable of a range of 31 miles or more could cut carbon emissions from road transport by half.

Holland added: “By allowing commercially-ready vehicles such as ours on to their programmes, the Government could make real progress.”

Case study: TNT puts its faith in electric vans

Global delivery giant TNT has bought 100 Smith electric vehicles after an 18-month trial.

The vehicles – mostly 7.5-tonne Newtons and a handful of smaller Edisons – are being used on urban routes.

TNT chief executive officer Peter Bakker told Fleet Van: “We are well aware of the problems of trying to minimalise the impact of operations on the environment. 

“Having tested the vehicles for 18 months we realised we could operate in urban environments with zero emissions without any extra cost to ourselves.

“We are convinced that this technology is the cleanest for city deliveries and we want to start scaling up our electric vehicle operation to really change the world.”

Bakker admitted that electric vehicles were about twice the front-end price of diesel ones but he pointed out that while it cost around £200 to fill a truck tank with diesel, it cost just £40 to recharge the batteries of an electric one.

He said: “There is no congestion charge to pay when travelling in London and because there are not many moving parts, maintenance charges will be lower.”

One of TNT’s worries when it started the trial was that of driver acceptance, but that proved no problem at all.

Bakker said: “The drivers love them. They accelerate the same as a diesel van but there is no clutch and gear change and no noise, so driving is less stressful.”

Scottish niche firm suddenly hits the big time

Glasgow niche vehicle manufacturer Allied Vehicles has suddenly been rocketed into the fleet spotlight after having its electric-powered Peugeot Boxer van included in the Government’s list of preferred suppliers for its electric and hybrid vehicle trials.

Powered by lithium-ion battery technology, the vehicle has a range of more than 100 miles and can be plugged into an ordinary household socket or triple phase industrial socket to recharge.

The vehicles produce zero emissions when in operation.

Commenting on the news, Allied’s chairman Gerry Facenna said: “Allied already makes market-leading taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles.

“We have invested substantial funding and effort over the past four years in ensuring that the electric vehicle project that we bring to market is of the highest quality.

"Our inclusion in this innovative national project represents a vote of confidence in electric vehicles and will provide real impetus for their integration into working fleets.”

 

Allied received another boost with news that £1.8 million has been awarded by the Technology Strategy Board to a consortium led by Allied for the development of electric Peugeot Partners and Peugeot Expert Tepees.

The aims of the project are to accelerate technological development, help encourage the take-up of alternative fuel vehicles and to identify and resolve issues that may arise in the production and use of this type of vehicle in a daily-use environment.

Members of the consortium also include Dundee firm Axeon, which will develop the batteries for the electric vehicles, Glasgow City Council, ScottishPower, the University of Strathclyde and Scottish Enterprise.

Allied managing director Paul Nelson said: “It’s great to have been awarded this funding for a project that will make Glasgow a leading player for the quest for green transport.

"After considerable research and investment Allied is set to take the lead in the production of electric vehicles.

“With the Technology Strategy Board’s funding, combined with the support of our consortium partners, Glasgow has the potential to become a centre of excellence for the development of zero emission transport.”

Hybrid vehicles

Hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius have been around for years now, but it’s only recently that this technology has moved into the commercial vehicle sector.

So far, no manufacturers offer a complete off-the-shelf hybrid van in the UK but two British firms have launched retrofit systems which, while different in operation, both claim to offer savings of 20-25% on fuel and around 20% on CO2 emissions.

Ashwoods Automotive has been added to the DfT’s list of preferred suppliers, while Connaught Engineering has not, but both firms have patented their own systems and offer a fitting service in under four hours.

Ashwoods’ system is for rear-wheel drive Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter only at present, although the firm says more vehicles will be added soon.

The system consists of an electric motor helping to drive the rear axle in times of stress and a battery pack and control unit that is plugged into the van’s diagnostic socket.

The control unit only activates the electric motor when the engine is under load under 60mph.

The battery pack charges up when driving, using the energy normally lost in braking.

Ashwoods’ managing director Mark Roberts said: “Our systems are designed to fit the vehicle in under three hours without cutting any wires or drilling any holes and making no modification to the vehicle.

"All work is carried out within manufacturers’ guidelines and it can be removed to return the vehicle to standard for sale if necessary.”

The system is still on trial at present but Roberts believes the price will be £2,500-£3,500 when it goes on official sale next spring.

Meanwhile the Connaught system, starting at £2,900, uses a 10kw motor/generator coupled to the side of the engine and a group of supercapacitors under the van which store energy.

This means that front-wheel drive vehicles can be converted.

At present the system is available for Ford Transit and Connaught is planning to extend this to Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter in the next nine months.

So should UK van fleet operators rush into hybrid technology?

Several factors should be taken into consideration when deciding.

For starters the technology isn’t cheap, so if your fleet undertakes only short journeys, you may not see the financial benefits within the life of the van.

Then there is driver attitude to be taken into consideration. We’ve tested hybrid vehicles in the past and basically, they only save fuel if the driver operates the vehicle in a light-footed manner.

If your drivers simply climb aboard and stick their right feet on the floor – as many do – the savings will be minimal.

The final question concerns warranty. While both Connaught and Ashwoods insist that their systems won’t affect the vehicle’s guarantee, neither firms have an official tie-up with any of the manufacturers whose vehicles they convert.