Demand grows for compact electric Goupil G2 and G4 vans

Bradshaw Electric Vehicles hopes to sell around 150 Goupil G2 and G4 compact utility vehicles this year after supplying Thames Water with 25, City of London Corporation taking on 14 and several London councils, including Westminster, expressing interest in the electric vehicles.

Demand has started to grow over the past two years for the last mile models, which offer range of up to 101 miles and battery options of lithium-ion and lead acid, according to marketing manager Ramsey Labassi.

The larger G4, the more popular model, is available with 11 body options, including chassis only, pick-ups, box vans, gritters and first response units, and can be supplied with auxiliary equipment including pressure washers and cherry pickers. It has a surprisingly generous payload of just over one tonne with the lighter lithium battery, while its narrow width is idea for urban streets.

“The lead acid battery is also popular, especially on the G4 where it accounts for 60% of sales,” said Labassi. “Lithium is more popular on the G2.”

Lead acid range is 51 miles with an eight-hour charging time but comes in cheaper with a starting price of £26,000. The lithium version adds more range and faster charging (4.5 hours for the smaller battery, 6.5 hours for the larger unit) but costs around £6,000 more.

“We will do a site survey to establish needs but having four battery options allows you to tailor to your own requirements,” said Labassi.

“They are easy to maintain and have good reliability. They are an ideal replacement for low-speed diesel vehicles which often suffer maintenance issues due to clogging filters. We have a lot of success as refuse vehicles.”

Typical fleet lifecycles are around five years, with the vehicles holding value on the used market, Labassi claimed. “Fleets can buy outright or lease. We can put together a contract through Investec or they can do their own.”