LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) has announced a new partnership with Europcar Mobility Group UK – one of the UK’s leading commercial vehicle rental providers – supplying a fleet of 100 new VN5 electric vans. The vehicles will be made available across Europcar’s nationwide rental locations in the UK.
VN5, with its eCity range extender technology, will help support Europcar’s commitments to reducing the environmental impact of its fleets via the company’s ‘One Sustainable Fleet’ programme.
Designed, engineered and built at LEVC’s EV factory in the UK city of Coventry, VN5 utilises lightweight bonded aluminium monocoque and SMC construction as its TX electric taxi.
LEVC is owned by China’s Geely Group.
Joerg Hofmann, LEVC CEO, says: “I am delighted we have signed this agreement with Europcar, which will enable many businesses to try our innovative new electric van before they buy. LEVC and Europcar share a common goal to advance the accessibility of sustainable transport, and I am confident that business will see that VN5 is the ideal green mobility solution, offering zero-emission capability with no range-anxiety.”
Ron Santiago, Managing Director, Europcar Mobility Group UK, comments: “The addition of the VN5 addresses an urgent need amongst commercial vehicle users. Research conducted in 2021 found that 89% of businesses expect a quarter or more of their fleet to enter a Clean Air Zone more than once a week. Yet there is a clear gap in availability of electric vehicles, as well as cost barriers for outright purchase. There is also concern that electrified vans may not be able to meet the high-pressure demands of businesses, with uncertainty about the range they can offer.
He adds: “Bringing the VN5 on to the Europcar Vans & Trucks fleet addresses these concerns on several levels. Available as part of our long-term rental solutions, it means businesses have the flexibility to ‘try before they buy’, without having to commit to lease or outright purchase, giving them the chance to really understand how electric will work for them and their drivers. Long-term rental of the VN5 also provides important financial flexibility while the UK economy remains uncertain. Plus, crucially, the VN5 gives customers a compliant solution eliminating the need to factor in additional costs for entering Clean Air Zones.”
Since 2014, Geely has invested more than £500m into LEVC, allowing it to build an entirely new eco-friendly manufacturing facility, the UK’s first dedicated to the production of electric vehicles.
In November 2019, LEVC started production of its first non-taxi model with the launch of VN5, a medium-sized electric van.
