Switch to electric vehicles is easier with the right help!
Posted on 28/10/2021Changing zones and new challenges: why making the switch to electric vehicles is easier with the right help!
If you don’t drive in London you might not be aware that to help improve air quality, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, except Christmas Day.
Most vehicles, including cars and vans, need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone, which is £12.50 for most vehicle types including cars, motorcycles and vans and £100 for heavier vehicles, including lorries (over 3.5 tonnes) and buses/coaches (over 5 tonnes).
Whilst none of us can argue with the need to address air pollution for the benefit of peoples’ health and well-being, not forgetting the environment, at £100 a day the charge is significant and ultimately passed from the business to the customer, which impacts us all.
So it’s not surprising that with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expanding from central London up to (but not including) the North Circular and South Circular roads as of the 25th October, many individuals and organisations are considering the implications.
For those organisations with a fleet of vehicles regularly in and out of London there is likely to be a significant investment at some point not far down the line into electric vehicles, and which at some point will become the ‘norm’ for all as a result of the Government announcement on the 18th November 2020 of their intention to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by 2030.
Fortunately, there are some incentives from the Government that will be crucial in helping commercial operators move to using electric vehicles. The new small truck grant (3.5-12 tonnes) covers 20% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £16,000 and will be available for the first 250 orders placed. There are 10 grants available per customer. There is also a new large plug-in truck grant (greater than 12 tonnes) which will now offer funding of up to £25,000 – an increase of £5,000.
For fleet operators, not only are there key capital expenditure decisions to make regarding switching to electric vehicles, there are also the lifetime costs to be considered from doing so. Some companies are already ahead of the game having made that all important decision to switch to a greener way of transport, and having done so face different challenges.
These organisations are now looking at how they can use less energy through eco-driving techniques and improve the driving range of modern electric vehicles.
The good news is that some leading automotive product suppliers are also ahead of the game introducing product ranges that will be the future of efficient economical driving of electric vehicles.
Recently Parksafe undertook a trial with Eden Tyres & Servicing looking at some of the considerations for organisations looking to change their fleets to electric vehicles. You can read about the findings of the trial here and this is what Managing Director, Matt Eden had to say:
Transitioning over to an EV Fleet is something that has always been on our agenda, as we are running a fleet of 30 vehicles it is important for us to choose the right supplier for our needs. Whilst testing the Mercedes eVito with and without the PS+EV Battery Enhancement we were pleased to find such great short term results! With a huge 17% increase we were over moon that we were able to get more drops and have less downtime on the vehicles. Long term the wear and tear on the vehicles will be reduced as all driving styles can change due to this, which is such a great cost saving for our business.”
Not only is there a reduction in costs with such products but they are proving favourable for safety reasons too. They provide intelligent regulation of accelerator performance combined with a speed limiter, which means increased safety as they prevent aggressive acceleration and excessive speeds. This will no doubt improve driver behaviour and reductions in speeding offences, which in turn increases safety for drivers and other road users too.
As challenging a time as it is for fleet operators, financial incentives and new technologies mean that this is also an exciting time for many and as this will be a decision both private vehicle users and fleet operators will have to make at some point, it definitely pays to get ahead and make the most of the help out there.
To check if your vehicle meets the standards you can visit: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-expansion –
For more information about the PS±EV Eco Save Electric Vehicle Device take a look here or better still, speak to one of the friendly, knowledgeable team at Parksafe who can work with you to help you become greener!
