Gone are the days where electric car drivers were seen as super rich people. While electric cars were mostly acquired by high income earners and people of affluence, that statusquo is slowly changing base. Presently a few average earners are now able to buy and maintain an electric car.
I won’t fail to give most of the credit to The Tesla revolution, for putting electric vehicles out there and creating a better audience for electric cars. Electric vehicles are not only available in just small portable vehicles, if you’re a fan of big cars and possibly you run a business that require Van services, you’ll be glad to know that electric vehicles are also available in vans.
I’ve taken my time to create the ultimate guide to getting familiar with electric vans. Many people these days are fascinated by the mechanism of electric vehicles, they eventually go ahead to buy it and never make use of them simply because they really don’t know how to operate electric cars or vans or any electric vehicle properly.
Thankfully, electric cars are getting more affordable, so a handful of people are able to afford it other than before. One of the reasons why people actually go for electric cars is that fact that you won’t keep spending a lot of money on buying fuel. When you consider the amount of money you save in that direction, giving electric cars a shot might actually be worth every dime.
In this guide, I’ll be running you through basically everything you need to know about electric vans, how they operate, the batteries they use, a few ideal ones I consider, the disadvantages and advantages that comes with making use of an electric van. Hopefully I don\t skip any important information.
Why should I buy an electric Van?
First of all, who doesn’t want an electric vehicle???????
I mean c’mon electric vehicles may have a few drawbacks which if you ask me are quite easy to manage, but they are literally the messiah of cars in this generation. There would come a stage in the future where electric vans will be at the top of the van market. Mainly because of the great amount of pollution they help control.
While it may be a tiny fraction of the market for now, mainly because not everybody out there can afford it, but over time, the prices will drop as new ones are being released and everybody- well a few will be able to buy an electric van.
If you’re still skeptical about buying an electric van, you might need to have a firsthand experience of what they feel like. So you can go ahead and arrange a testing session with your local dealer. He’d run you through on the specs and how it works. This way you’re actually convinced and sure that you want to buy an electric van.
Surprisingly, there are apps these days where you can track your daily journeys for a period of time. This app will help you know if getting an electric van is an ideal thing to do and if it will actually help you out in the coming future.
What does it feel like to drive an electric van?
For my friends who are still coughing up funds to buy an electric van and can’t arrange a testing session with a local provider, this section is for you.
Based on personal experience, electric vans are just amazing to drive. Super awesome and smooth. While different electric vans will differ in feeling, they all have a common feeling which I’ll talk about in this section.
The first thing I want to mention is ho refined they are. You know that unavoidable noise you get from driving a manual or automatic engine car, it can never be found in an electric van. Electric vans are very subtle when it comes to noise. And yes this applies to all speed level. The only drawback to this feature is that they outside world becomes very noticeable. Hopefully they make new ones with sound proof. That is if they haven’t been produced already.
Moving forward, you’ll find that you don’t need to use the regular brakes often in an e-van. The reason for this is because whenever you lift your feet off the accelerator, the electric motor turns into a generator – this process not only helps you recovers energy to top up the batteries, but it also acts to slow down the van. you can now drive for long periods without needing to use the conventional brakes at all. The great thing about this feature is that it helps reduce wear and tear and the amount of money you would have spent to that them fixed.
I’d advice everybody out there to go through the testing session before buying one though. If you can’t afford it yet, you can ask a friend that already has an electric van to show you how it’s done.
What is the driving range of an electric van?
First of all, it is important that you know that the driving range of an electric van depends greatly on what type of driver you and how you like to drive. It also depends on the depends on the make and model of the electric van that you are driving.
Here’s the thing, almost every e-van on sale in the UK offers a 106-mile official range. Which if you run a few features on the van, your mileage will reduce dramatically to about 80 to 90 miles.
For instance, almost every electric car owner I know is very cautious of running the AC or heater if they’re going to be driving for long hours. This is because running that feature while you drive is going to reduce your battery. And we all know the fear that comes with your electric vehicle dying on you. So if you want to get the best range out of your electric van, ensure that your AC and heater is on for a long time.
Because of this, some electric vans come with a ‘pre-conditioning’ system. This feature allows you to set the cabin temperature while the van is plugged in to charge, thus saving driving time and energy.
Pros and cons of electric vans
This is most likely the most anticipated part of this guide. As much as electric vans have a lot to offer, it still has its share of disadvantages. Below are the pros and cons of buying an using an electric van.
Pros of electric vans
- Electric vans are relatively cheaper when it comes to running cost when compared to diesel alternatives. You don’t have to spend money on buying fuel like you normally would in diesel running vans.
- They are eco-friendly as they do not emit dangerous and polluting smokes to the environment while running.
- government Plug-in Van Grant and substantially reduced tax burdens for both business and private use.
- Electric vans run silently regardless of the speed you are running at.
- The convenience that comes with driving electric vans is amazing. Electric vans have some convenience features that you most likely won’t see elsewhere, including the ability on many to set the air-conditioning to your preferred temperature while charging.
- Because electric motors deliver instant torque, easy-going performance is attainable.
- An electric van will give your van business a prestigious image and look.
Cons of electric vans
- You will definitely get range anxiety when going for long distance on the road. This is because like the diesel alternative vehicles, you can’t stop by a filling station and fill up your car with diesel.
- It takes longer to recharge an e-van than to refuel a regular van.
- Apart from the fact that it takes a long time to charge your electric van, most charging spots are not really as available as filling stations.
- Electric vans are very expensive. I really cannot stress this enough. Because it is still in it\s pioneer stage, it isn’t the most affordable van out there or option to go for.
- e-mobility tech is heavy.
- Electric vans do not thrive well in cold weather. It affects the range as well as decreases the battery life.
- The batteries lose its capacity overtime but thankfully electric van batteries come with warranty of at least a year.
- Not a very ideal vehicle to resell as they lose its value overtime unlike diesel alternatives.
Servicing electric vans
I would say this is the best thing I like about electric vehicles, but new things spring up every day. From a recent survey carried out by van drivers, result shows that the electric vans are very cheaper to maintain than diesel vehicles.
Because electric vans are expensive, people think that servicing it would cost a fortune. But that isn’t even the case. You would find that your brake pads and discs will last longer compared to diesel alternatives due to the powerful braking effectiveness of the motor.
Generally, electric vans are cheaper to maintain because they have lesser moving parts. No oils to change, no pistons pumping up and down here, and no clutch in the gearbox to wear out. You would save a lot when it comes to spending on services.
Final words
Overall I think getting an electric van would give you better services and make you spend less. Of course you should go for it when the finances are available- no pressure whatsoever.
If you’d like to know more on electric vans and vehicles, leave a comment in the comment section and I’ll do well to leave a reply.