The electrification of passenger cars is rapidly gaining momentum, but consumers are still skeptical of larger electric cars and in most cases prefer the popular diesel cars. However, the market is gradually moving towards electrification in this area as well. Can new technologies replace diesel engines in passenger minibuses as well?
The electrification of passenger cars is progressing quite rapidly. Most of today’s electric cars can travel 300-500 km on a single charge in real-world conditions, thus meeting the needs of consumers who do not drive a lot or rarely measure long distances. On the other hand, in the commercial vehicle sector, electrification is taking place much more slowly, because companies care about both the price of the car and the distance it can travel, as well as because of “excess” weight and worse aerodynamics, minibuses lose to passenger cars in terms of efficiency.
Cars in a company’s fleet must be able to be constantly on the move, and parking them at a charging station for extended periods of time is an inefficient use of time. And it’s not just about cargo transportation. With such cars, people can be transported quickly and economically, for example, to get from any part of Latvia to the ski slopes of the Alps.
Although there is no big wave of electrification in the field of minibuses yet, this segment is also gradually changing. “Volkswagen Multivan” offers a “plug-in” hybrid, the electric one is “ID.Buzz”, but the new generation “Ford Tourneo Custom” offers both an excellent “plug-in” hybrid and a fully electric “E- Tourneo” model. Also, it is no longer possible to order “Peugeot Traveler” with an internal combustion engine in Latvia, because only the fully electric model is available. After all, the European Union’s strict emission standards are encouraging manufacturers to take electrification more and more seriously. But is this industry ready for electrification?
Potential areas of use
“Electric commercial vehicles are not yet in great demand, although, of course, there are customers who have bought or rented them. Several companies in Latvia have also purchased electric minibuses. For those fleets whose vehicles are not in continuous motion, one charge is enough for a whole day, but then you can charge overnight. I can mention some companies, for example, window washing service providers, who bought an electric car only because it can use free parking lots in Old Riga and thus can significantly save money,” says “Kursors.lv” car reviewer Māris Gaugers .
In Latvia, one of the largest fleets of electric minibuses belongs to DHL courier, which for this reason made headlines around the world last winter. The German company “Deutsche Post DHL” signed a contract with “Ford” for the supply of more than 2,000 electric minibuses. In the city, you can drive them enough to be able to work all day.
By the way, “Deutsche Post DHL Group” has set a goal – by 2030, 60% of its global fleet, or 80,000 transport units, will be electric. On the other hand, in 2050, the company’s logistics must achieve zero emissions.
“Electric minibuses, in my opinion, are the perfect vehicle for any self-respecting hotel that organizes a transfer for its guests. How many kilometers is it from the airport to any point in Riga? It’s not a long distance, so such cars would be very useful here. They would also be suitable for various social institutions, which, for example, take disabled people to hospitals. And of course, such minibuses should be purchased by state institutions. They should set an example for the public and choose an environmentally friendly vehicle,” says Tom Timoshko, car reviewer of “Klubs” magazine.
“I would say that the diesel minibuses used by state-owned companies in Latvia should soon be replaced by electric or plug-in hybrids. It would be a truly European approach – for the public sector to choose electric transport in public procurement,” says Māris Gaugers.
Minibuses are also of interest to an unusual segment
In the last ten years, manufacturers have paid a lot of attention to improving the quality, driving and functions of minivans, and the results are also visible – they are increasingly interested in private buyers. After all, the new generation of passenger buses are significantly different from their commercial counterparts and can boast of rich equipment and a rather luxurious interior. Automatic gearbox, leather seats, climate control, navigation and LED lights – then everything in this class is no longer a surprise; the equipment list of some models competes even with the advantages of a mid-range passenger car.
While SUVs and crossovers are overtaking traditional minivans in popularity, larger families often find these tall but relatively compact cars too cramped. On the other hand, everyone can sit comfortably in the spacious interior of the minibus and there is also enough space for luggage. Tom Timoshko agrees that electrification is not suitable for all companies, but for families, an electric car could be a good option.
If electricity is not enough, a plug-in hybrid is an option
“Today’s minibuses are considered by people as a light vehicle, and hybrids like this are especially in demand now. I believe that hybrid technology is a very suitable solution in this segment. Minibuses with gasoline engines have always existed, but there were few of them. This is because diesel cars use fuel were simply superior in terms of fuel consumption and performance. Now hybrids significantly outperform traditional gasoline units, and modern technologies show excellent performance on the highway, but even outperform diesel engines in the city. But – as you know – nowadays people drive a lot directly within the city limits,” says Tom Timoshko.
Currently, at least in the Latvian market, there is not much choice for minibuses with “plug-in” hybrid drive. Two of these are the Volkswagen Multivan and the Ford Tourneo Custom, which features the 2.5-liter internal combustion engine from the Kuga model, currently Europe’s best-selling plug-in hybrid. It is combined with a 16.5 kWh battery, which allows you to drive almost 60 km on electricity alone.
“In any case, I would advise every businessman, and not only a businessman, who plans to buy a car to remember that the mass arrival of environmentally friendly cars is only a matter of time,” says Māris Gaugers.
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2023-09-12 15:22:32
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