BCS Group has reshaped its approach to future fleet planning and the shift to electric mobility with the help of a free, extended trial of a Chapter 8-compliant electric van from Europcar.

The infrastructure services specialist signed up to Europcar’s promotion offering free trial rentals, and said the chance to evaluate a Volkswagen E-Transporter shifted its perceptions of EV suitability for commercial use.

Europcar’s extended free trial launched earlier this year to demonstrate to businesses that electric vans can be practical, comfortable and efficient for day-to-day commercial use. The free three-week test drives of a fully equipped and Chapter 8 compliant Volkswagen e-Transporter enable infrastructure and construction firms experience eLCV driving over a longer basis.

BCS Group put the E-Transporter to the test across day-to-day operations including supplier visits, depot-to-depot travel and urban tasks.

Caretaker Darrin Smith reported that the van performed strongly on local journeys, with straightforward charging and regenerative braking providing helpful efficiency gains.

Smith said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the trial. The van was comfortable, easy to drive, handled well, and was impressively quiet on the road. It also warmed up very quickly despite the extremely cold weather at the time, which was a big plus. I used the vehicle for general day to day tasks such as travelling to suppliers for collections and moving stock between depots.”

Smith said the trial had definitely improved his expectations of electric motoring, demonstrating that the range and overall performance were strong and more than sufficient for daily tasks.

“The experience showed me that an electric van is well suited to the type of journeys I make most often.”

Tom Middleditch, head of B2B marketing and sustainability spokesperson at Europcar, said manufacturer test-drives simply don’t provide drivers and their employers with a full picture of eLCV life in all weathers, road conditions and job types.

“We are committed to helping businesses make the transition to zero emissions mobility and offering the VW E-Transporter for a significant three-week free trial provides a valuable real-world test drive.

“In the long-term, we believe this trial will help businesses reduce fleet tailpipe emissions, as well as show them how electric vans can fit into their operations.”

Designed to give businesses meaningful insight into range, charging, performance and suitability, Europcar has fitted out the E-Transporter it is offering for free trial with a range of a range of features that are frequently required by infrastructure and construction fleets. These include lightweight, recycled plastic ply lining and flooring supplied by Legend Fleet Services, Chapter 8 decals and e-van livery applied by Media Fleet, plus a 50W solar roof panel provided by Genie Insights, and a removable, non-drill light bar from Park Safe.

The BCS Group Fleet Team closely monitored the trial to assess operational suitability, range, comfort and ease of use. In contrast to previous electric vans the business had tested, the Europcar trial demonstrated that electric commercial vehicles can meet business needs when equipped correctly – particularly with features such as solar panels, removable beacons and an 800kg payload. The team also confirmed that the detailed Europcar handover and cold-weather performance were standout positives, giving the team confidence in the vehicle’s suitability for wider fleet use.

Shehnaz Shaikh and Sarah Cook, both part of the fleet team at BCS Group, provided their insight on the trial.

Shehnaz Shaikh, fleet coordinator at BCS Group, said: “The Europcar electric van trial has been a really valuable experience for us. As early adopters of electric vans within our fleet, we already have some experience operating EVs in a commercial environment. However, we’re always keen to continue testing how electric vans perform across different operations and duty cycles.”

Sarah Cook, fleet administrator, added: “Experiences such as this help us build a clearer picture of where electric vans fit within our fleet as we continue to explore them as part of our longer-term fleet and sustainability strategy.”