UK commercial vehicle specialist CPD Group has launched a new service designed to make it easier for fleet operators to transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric alternatives.
Called Key4E, the service brings electric vehicle advice, specification and supply together with the ability to part-exchange existing diesel vehicles in a single transaction.
The service, which was scheduled to launch at the end of September, covers electric panel vans as well as chassis-based conversions including tippers, traffic management vehicles, dropsides, Lutons with tail lifts and welfare vehicles. Funding support can also be arranged where required.
CPD executive director Gareth Jones said the service was intended to remove some of the uncertainty businesses face when considering electrification.
“Customers can come to us for impartial advice on electrification, including whether an electric vehicle will work for their operation in the first place,” Jones said.
“If it is, we can help them choose the right make, model and specification, from panel vans with racking and specialist equipment to chassis-based vehicles with open or enclosed bodies.”
Existing diesel vehicles can be taken as part-exchange through CPD’s Key4Key operation, allowing businesses to replace vehicles without separately managing their purchase and disposal.
Jones said Key4E could be particularly relevant to businesses that had previously been reluctant to move away from diesel but were now reassessing vehicle operating costs.
He pointed to fuel prices, reduced maintenance requirements and strengthening used EV residual values as factors influencing the business case for electric commercial vehicles.
“The operational cost efficiencies of reduced maintenance are another benefit that has always been there but hasn’t really been considered,” Jones said.
CPD also believes UK government grants and taxation benefits available for electric vehicles could help businesses make the transition.