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How Electric Vans Can Help To Tackle Climate Change

Electric Vehicle Charger
May 6th, 2022

Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in solutions that help to take care of the environment. Solar panels have started to appear on more properties, homeowners work to reduce their fuel consumption and thousands aim to recycle and reuse as much as possible.

One of the most talked-about points when discussing helping the environment is vehicles that run on fossil fuels. While using public transport or carpooling can help reduce the amount of fueled vehicles on the road this is not always completely feasible for someone, especially if you live somewhere with no transport links or friends/coworkers to share with.

If you still need a vehicle but want to make a difference, consider switching to an electric vehicle. Here is how electric vans and cars can help to deal with climate change.

A Brief History Of Electric Vehicles

Before the rise of internal combustion engines utilising fuel, electric vehicles were actually quite popular, with practical electric vehicles appearing around the late 1880s. The first human-carrying electric vehicle hit the streets of Paris in 1881 and was made by fitting the recently developed rechargeable battery to a tricycle, inventing the world’s first electric vehicle.

Interest in electric-powered vehicles rose at the beginning of the 20th century, with many in cities taking advantage of not having to change gears, no manual effort to start and not having the smell of gasoline filling the air. Their progress was ultimately hampered by the lack of power infrastructure, with vehicles having a short-range and not enough convenient places to charge.

Sales of electric vehicles began to plummet as petroleum reserves led to affordable fuel, making gas-powered cars cheaper to operate over long distances. Electric cars also had a slower speed, so gas cars could go further, faster and for less money. Over time electric vehicles faded into obscurity, with manufacturers focusing on their diesel and petrol options instead.

Mass interest in electric cars has only really picked up over the last 10/15 years, with numbers rising from less than a million electric vehicles globally in 2014 to over 11 million in 2020. The rise has been triggered by innovation in the industry, allowing vehicles to reach the same speed as gas cars and go further distances, bringing their performance on par with other road vehicles.

The increase in electric vehicles is also due to a concern over the environment, with many deciding to switch to electric vehicles to help combat climate change. Here is how.

Reduce Use Of Fossil Fuels

Whether they use diesel, leaded or unleaded, most cars run on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon containing material that is formed underground from the decomposing remains of animals and plants. Humans then extract this from the Earth’s crust and burn it as fuel. The carbon and hydrogen produce energy when burnt, which can be used to power any number of things, including vans and other vehicles.

Some of the most common types of fossil fuels are oil, coal and natural gases. Fossil fuels are not a form of renewable energy, as they can take millions of years to develop. Because of the finite supply, the best solution is to cut out the use of fossil fuels as much as possible before they run out.

The other danger of continually using fossil fuels is the emissions they produce, which are responsible for about three-quarters of all the emissions from human activities in the last twenty years. These emissions can cause serious environmental damage to the planet. The CO2 released helps accelerate climate change while burning coal can lead to atmospheric effects such as acid rain and smog. It negatively impacts ecosystems, which leads to the extinction of species and contributes to overall world hunger.

The World Health Organisation has said that climate change is the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century, so by driving an electric van instead of a gas-powered one, you are helping to reduce the dangers. In fact, the government has set a target to ensure almost every car and van is a zero-emission vehicle by 2050, with the aim of stopping the sale of all petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040.

Every vehicle helps, with one electric car saving an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2 in a year. You can even run your vehicle on low carbon electricity, which will reduce the environmental impact even more.

Production Impacts

Unfortunately making electric vans does use up a lot of energy, often more than the conventional car. This is due to the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, which are key to making an electric vehicle work. In fact, over one-third of the CO2 emissions an electric vehicle produces in its lifetime are just from construction. But even after taking this into account, an electric car is a much greener option than a gas vehicle.

This is because you need to consider the environmental impact of the vehicle over time. The reduction of emissions that the car will provide over its lifetime more than makes up for the emissions produced in constructing it.

Because of the rise in electric vehicles, reusing and recycling batteries is also a growing business, which helps to offset the emissions that are produced in construction by reusing batteries instead. These batteries can even be powered by other renewable sources, leading to total clean energy.

Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor with a traditional fuel engine, but what are the environmental impacts of this? It often depends on how much of a journey is driven on the electric motor and how much you rely on the fuel. But any change away from gas-burning engines will have a positive effect on the environment, no matter how small.

Noise Pollution

As well as helping reduce general pollution, electric vans are also great for tackling noise pollution. This is because they run far quieter than conventional vehicles, leading to more peaceful environments, especially in built-up cities where there are a lot of vehicles driving slowly around.

Benefits Of An Electric Van For Your Business

If you’re thinking of buying or leasing one van or a fleet of vans for your business, there are a number of benefits. You are future-proofing against issues relating to climate change, with many cities introducing low or zero-emission zones, which could cost regular vans a lot of money to drive through.

They are easy to drive for your staff, with no changing gears to worry about and a smooth ride overall. They’ll also be a great image booster, showing customers and anybody who sees your vans that your business is committed to tackling climate change. You’ll also save money through government incentives and fuel prices, with reduced tax burdens and lower costs of fuel.

Is Electric For Me?

If you’re still wondering whether electric is for you, here is a quick summary of the benefits of driving an electric van. They produce no CO2, meaning they reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality, helping to tackle climate change. They require very little maintenance due to having fewer moving parts, leading to less general wear and tear on your brakes and engines.

Electric vans are cheaper to run, as the cost of electricity per mile is significantly lower than buying fuel. You can even charge at some public charging points for free. You can also take advantage of the government plug-in van grant, which could provide you with a discount of up to 20% off the cost of your new electric van. Also from a money standpoint, you’ll pay no road tax cost on electric vehicles.

Finally, you can expect a smooth driving performance, delivering instant torque while being virtually silent. Overall there are great benefits to driving an electric van, not just for environmental concerns but also from a money and performance viewpoint.

Electric Vans For Sale

If you’re looking to buy or lease an electric van to help tackle climate change, shop with Van Sales UK today. We have a great selection of electric vans from leading brands such as Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Renault. They are available in a range of different body types for whatever purpose you need, including tipper, Luton and pickup vans.

Our vans are part of the plug-in vehicle grant, meaning the prices you pay can result in up to 20% off the purchase price, for up to a maximum of £6000 off the van. You’ll also benefit from reduced running and service costs while helping to save the environment.

So if you’re on the lookout for an electric van, get in touch today by calling 0117 428 7721 to talk through your options with one of our team. You can also visit our website now to browse our full selection of electric vans for sale and lease.

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