Michelin has taken delivery of its first wave of electric vans in the UK, reinforcing its environmental commitments.
It’s deployed 17 Vauxhall Combo Electric vans for its Services and Solutions division, part of plans to move the unit’s 54-strong fleet to electric by 2026.
The electric vans, which offer a range of up to 175 miles, have been supplied on a four-year lease and kitted out with the distinctive Michelin livery.
Alastair Cameron, national operations manager – services and solutions at Michelin, said: “The introduction of electric vans is an important milestone for our division and aligns with Michelin’s whole environmental ethos as we constantly strive to reduce our CO2 emissions.
“Deployed on the passenger transport side of the business, the electric vans will be used by our tyre technicians who visit multiple sites every day, but who are classed as low-mileage city drivers.”
Cameron said the eLCV drivers would be “our ambassadors for the transition to EVs, encouraging colleagues to join the programme”, which will be expanded next year.
Drivers will be given an electric fuel card for business mileage, whilst the Services and Solutions division has put in place a system for them to efficiently reclaim home charging costs.
The company will also draw on its Michelin Connected Fleet tools to aid the switch to electric and monitor battery charging plus range data to support drivers. The solutions have already been used to cut harsh driving events across the Services and Solutions’ van fleet, reducing fuel costs by improving driver behaviour.
“With the Connected Fleet tools, we now have the ability to monitor how our electric vans are being utilised in terms of charging, so we can carefully manage the battery life and range and advise our drivers accordingly,” Cameron added.
Michelin Services and Solutions is also further supporting driver safety in the Vauxhall Combo Electric vans by installing the same fleet management technologies it deploys for end-user fleets, including forward- and rear-facing cameras.
Vauxhall has also recently revised its Combo Electric as part of a wider revamp across the van line-up. The compact eLCV is now priced from £26,800 (incl. Plug-in Van Grant, excl. VAT) – saving £4,750 over the outgoing model. Powered by a 136hp electric motor, it now delivers increased WLTP range of 205 miles – 30 more than before – thanks to the arrival of a new 50kWh battery. It comes with a 7.4kW onboard charger as standard (a 11kW charger is optional), and the battery can be recharged from 0-80% in 30 minutes at a 100kW DC public charging station.
