Nearly half of van drivers have concerns about fitting charging time for electric vehicles into their work schedule – but more than a third are considering switching to a battery electric van within the next six months.
That’s according to a new survey by Ford, which polled 500 UK van drivers to discover attitudes towards electric vans. The car giant found that 36% of van drivers say they or their employer are planning on switching to an electric van within the next four to six months, with 26% thinking the company they work for would be perceived more positively for doing so.
But the survey did highlight some of the continued concerns van drivers have about making the switch to electric power. Charging time was the biggest concern, with 44% of van drivers believing they wouldn’t be able to fit charging time into their working schedule.
Ford E-Transit Custom revealed ahead of 2023 launch
One reason for those concerns is likely to be the lack of charging options: only 20% said there were always charging points available at work, with 52% having no ability to charge a van at home.
Home charging was also a concern for many van drivers, with 71% admitting they were unsure how they could be reimbursed by their company for the cost of charging a work van from their home electricity supply. The outright cost of electric vans was a concern for 16% of those polled.
The cost for a company of installing the charging infrastructure required to run commercial electric vehicles was a concern for 29% of drivers.
Range anxiety also remained a concern, although some of that might be down to perception. The van drivers polled reckoned that the average range of an electric van was 70 miles. While many electric vans do offer a relatively low range because they are intended for urban ‘last-mile’ deliveries, the latest Ford E-Transit has an official WLTP range of 196 miles.
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