Is it Worth Getting an Electric Van?

When it comes to buying your next van, there are more options than ever. There are plenty of new and used petrol and diesel vans to choose from and now the emergence of more electric powered vans can make your decision a little harder.

There are many benefits to getting an electric van, but it can be worth weighing up the pros and cons before you commit to getting one. The guide below does exactly that and helps you decide whether an electric van will fit into your lifestyle and also how to fund one.

What are the benefits of getting an electric van?

• Better for the environment. One of the main benefits of getting an electric van is the impact they have on the environment. Petrol and diesel-powered vehicles release harmful pollutants into the air which contributes to the rate of climate change and damages health. Electric vehicles on the other hand don’t produce any pollutants and instead help to improve air quality.
• Lower running costs. When compared to refueling your car or van with petrol or diesel, an electric vehicle can be much cheaper. It costs far less to recharge your van than it does to refuel. This can help to run an electric vehicle much cheaper.
• Better driving experience. Electric cars and vans provide a better driving experience as they’re much quieter on the road. There’s no clunky combustion engine involved and is instead replaced by a silent and smooth electric motor. The electric motor also transfers its power straight to the wheel which makes electric vans much more responsive.

What to consider before getting an electric van?

Whilst there are so many advantages to getting an electric van, it can be worth considering the drawbacks too to help decide if it would fit in with your lifestyle.

• Higher purchase price. It can be argued that the higher purchase price of getting an electric van is outweighed by its low running cost, but it is worth remembering that you may have to fork out a little more to get an electric van. Due to the recency of electric vans and the fact that they use much more sophisticated and modern technology, it can be more expensive to buy an electric van when compared to a petrol or diesel van.
• Electric range. The electric range of a van refers to how far it can travel on a single charge. The range of an electric van will depend on its make and model but generally, you will find that an electric van won’t provide you with a mileage that can compare to a full tank of petrol or diesel.
• Recharging time. It can be much cheaper to recharge your electric van, but recharging takes a lot longer than refueling your van. Usually, the cheapest way to charge your van is overnight but it can take between 6-8 hours for a full charge. You could also consider a fast charge, but this takes around 30 minutes which means if you’re in a hurry, an electric van may not be the most practical.
• Weight and efficiency. If you’re going to be using your electric van for work purposes, the weight and payload are really important. Many electric motors can be quite heavy which adds to the payload of the van before you’ve even started filling it with your equipment. Usually, electric vans find it hard to compete with the payload and weight offered by petrol or diesel vans.

Can you finance an electric van?

If the higher purchase price of an electric van is putting you off, you’ll be pleased to know that you can spread the cost of a van with van finance instead. Getting an electric van on finance works in the same way as any other car or van finance and just like car finance, it is always subject to status.

Van finance can be a great way to get a better van than you would with cash and be able to pay for it over a number of years and in manageable monthly installments.

Is an electric van right for you?

After you’ve read through the benefits and disadvantages of getting an electric van, you have made up your mind about whether it’s the right choice for you. If not, we think it ultimately can come down the battery range. If the van you choose can’t cover the number of miles you do in a day on a single charge then it won’t be suitable.

Also, you will need to think about recharging. The easiest way to charge your EV is to do it at home and overnight. However you will need to pay to have an at home charger installed and if you don’t have a garage or off-road parking, this can be tricky. If not, you will need to rely on public chargers which can be expensive as they use a higher wattage to charge the vehicle faster.