Europcar is adding a “significant volume” of small electric panel vans to its nationwide fleet to help businesses make the switch to electric.

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The Vauxhall Combo Electric and Renault Kangoo E-Tech will be available from Europcar locations across the UK on long-term flex rental of three months or more.

Keith Shorter, head of Europcar Vans and Trucks, said the new additions provide a virtually zero commitment entry to electric motoring and will be critical as more businesses try to work out how to make electric motoring a reality for commercial fleets.

“As the BVRLA has identified in the Zero Emission Van Plan, there are several hurdles organisations are finding hard to overcome, not least of which is the cost of entry. Winning the hearts and minds of drivers who will need to adapt to electric van usage is also critical.

“Our goal is to make electric commercial motoring more accessible for more businesses by providing a choice of compact electric vans that can serve multiple use cases.”

The Vauxhall Combo Electric delivers a 4.4m3 load volume and 781kg payload, along with a Flex Cargo load-through flap.

The Combo Electric can travel up to 213 miles (WLTP) on a single charge while the 52kWh battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in as little as 26 minutes.

The Renault Kangoo E-Tech has a maximum load volume of up to 4.2m3 and a payload of up to 724kg, while dual sliding side doors aid cargo access. Driving range is up to 186 miles (WLTP) and it can be charged in 20% to 80% in 42 minutes.

“These two small vans offer a wealth of practical, comfortable and tech features that make them perfect options for a wide range of business uses,” added Shorter. “The rapid charging capability and long driving range mean these vans also offer businesses a great way to put electric vans to the test operationally, as a real-world test drive.

“We are confident that adding these vans to the Europcar fleet will help SMEs and businesses running larger fleets reduce their carbon emissions without impacting productivity.”