Are Electric Vans a Good Choice For Couriers?

Vanaways
Vanaways
17th May 2021
Are Electric Vans a Good Choice For Couriers?

Electric vans have increased in popularity over the last few years not only because of their environmentally friendly benefits but also because of efficiency. For couriers, these two factors make electric delivery vans a great option to consider when upgrading our fleet. Major courier services such as Amazon and Royal Mail have invested in electric courier vans, so why not follow suit?

Here’s all you need to know about electric parcel vans and what they can do for you.

Who is using electric delivery vans?

As the popularity of online shopping increases, especially over the past year, it’s more important than ever to have reliable delivery vehicles. In a bid to improve operations and environmental impacts, Amazon electric vans have been rolled out across the world, including the Mercedes e-Sprinter, as they aim to have 10,000 electric parcel vans on the road by 2022.

The same can also be said for Royal Mail who have joined the UK Electric Fleets Coalition and they already have the lowest reported C02 emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies. Royal Mail electric vans have been tested across Birmingham, with more to follow in Leeds, Derby, Edinburgh and Bristol.

Why are electric vans beneficial for couriers?

For most couriers, a large percentage of their deliveries will involve city driving and that’s where electric delivery vans are ideal. DPD electric vans, for example, have done an amazing job at cutting emissions despite a 50% increase in parcel volumes every year.

Electric parcel vans provide many benefits, including:

Plug-in grant

Upgrading your fleet can be expensive but the great thing about switching to electric courier vans is that you may be eligible for a government grant. The van you purchase must have CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km and can travel at least 10 miles without any emissions at all. Meeting these regulations means you could receive a grant for 20% of the purchase price up to a maximum of £8,000.

Lower emissions

Imagine how many trips your delivery team do every day – that’s a lot of emissions. On the other hand, adding electric vans to your fleet means there is no fuel being burned and therefore no C02 emissions while driving. This is a great way of operating in a greener way and taking responsibility for your impact on the environment.

Suited to clean air zones

With more cities enforcing clean air zones this could be problematic for courier services that are not using electric vehicles. Switching to electric will allow you to continue making your inner-city deliveries without having to pay additional daily tolls.

If you’re wondering what electric vans couriers use, the team at Vanaways can help you find the right model. We offer a range of electric parcel vans at affordable prices as well as part-exchange options so you can move over to electric couriers vans in one easy step. Get in touch with us today for more information.

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