Electric vehicles are in the spotlight following the recent ‘petrol panic’ caused by HGV driver shortages.

While purchasing a new fleet of fully-electric vehicles may not be financially viable for your business, renting can be incredibly cost-efficient and ensures you’re not tied to a vehicle with a lower range than the latest model.

With that in mind, here are some of the reasons it could be time for your business to make the switch to electric.

Last-mile savings

A lot of electric vehicles are used for ‘last-mile delivery’ – the final stage of transportation from a local distribution centre to the customer’s front door.

Here at Ransome Van Centre, we have recently sold electric vans to customers who are going into urban areas like Cambridge, where there are potentially going be more restrictions on diesel and petrol vehicles.

By moving to electric now, your business can continue being competitive in those areas and avoid paying charges when entering ‘low emissions zones’ elsewhere.

Cost-efficient in the long term

While an electric vehicle may demand a higher upfront cost, the per-mile cost is significantly lower compared to an internal combustion engine. As an average, our smaller electric vans cost between two and four pence a mile to run, whereas an equivalent diesel van would be around 38 to 40 pence a mile.

With the government grants available on these vehicles, as well as a good load capacity, it means businesses can still complete local deliveries at a reasonable cost.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Maxus eDeliver 9The Maxus eDeliver 9 (Image: Harris Maxus)
Cheaper to maintain

Virtually all electric vehicles are now fitted with regenerative braking, which means they actually recover power from the brakes into the battery system. Not only does this extend the range, but is also decreases wear on the brakes.

With an electric vehicle, you’ll still have to replace the headlights, tyres and brakes, along with some of the moving parts. But there's no oil, there are no filters and there are no engine parts, so the ongoing maintenance costs are about a third of what a combustion engine would be.

More attractive to customers

It's well known that customers are more environmentally-conscious than ever, to the extent it is influencing their purchase decisions.

For example, we recently supplied a vehicle to a tiling business, which does most of its business in Cambridge. The company upgraded its 15-year-old Ford Diesel van to a brand-new electric Maxus eDeliver 3, because clients were asking how ecological it is as a business.

Government support

To incentivise businesses to cut their carbon emissions, the government offers ‘plug-in grants’ for large vans including the Maxus eDeliver 3 and Maxus eDeliver 9, which will pay for 35% of the purchase price up to a maximum of £6,000.


To find out how electric vans could work for your business, please contact Ransome Van Centre at 01473 727263 or sales@ransomevancentre.co.uk. Alternatively, browse Maxus range at www.ransomevancentre.co.uk