Electric van sales rocket as cost of filling up with diesel soars
SOARING pump prices are pushing more white van drivers to go green.
Sales of battery electric vans rose 52 per cent to 2,015 units last month — while diesel sales fell 23 per cent, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
And the number looking at ads for electric vans has more than doubled in 12 months — to 207,000 drivers in June, says AutoTrader.
The site’s Ian Plummer said: “The rising interest in electric vans has been a real feature of the market.”
It comes as diesel costs have soared to 195.88p a litre on average compared with 135p a litre this time last year.
It means the cost of filling up a van has jumped by almost £1,000 in a year.
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White van man Anthony Steven told The Sun that drivers were having to dip into their own pockets — as fuel was now more expensive than the reimbursement they got from their delivery companies.
He said: “Drivers are having to stump up £5 or £10 at a time.
“Electric vans are still at a price premium to diesel and there is a bit of concern about how far they can go on a charge, particularly if you’re driving in rural areas.
“But some of the new ranges are good and it’s better for drivers and cleaner.”
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Of the total four million vans on our roads, 97 per cent are diesel.
Mercedes-Benz’s Vito and Sprinter models and the Citroën SpaceTourer are the most popular electric models