There are more delivery drivers on the road than ever before. This means that there are more vans on the road too. The DVLA estimate that the total number of vans on UAE roads has exceeded 4 million for the first time. One fifth of all road traffic is vans. This means that vans need to be at the forefront of future vehicle technology. If our roads and cities are to support so many vans, we need to consider using electric vehicles.
Electric Solutions?
Electric Vans cannot come too soon for many city-based drivers. London is launching the world’s first ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’ in April 2019. Other cities are preparing similar low emission zones of their own. Fundamentally, the zones are designed to make drivers pay for using polluting cars within the zone. The designers hope that this will encourage people to use lower emission vehicles. Vans in particular will be judged harshly, so the switch to electric vans could save delivery drivers a lot of money.
Issues with Electric
One of the reasons that many people give for not wanting an electric car is known as ‘range anxiety’. This refers to the commonly held belief that electric vehicles cannot drive far enough on a single charge. However, for most inner-city delivery drivers, this is simply not the case. A new model of electric vehicle – the Renault Kangoo Z.E 33 – has a range of around 120 miles on a single charge. For most delivery drivers in cities, this is more than enough.
Advantages to Electric
Switching to an electric van could also save delivery drivers a lot of money. Modern electric vans are cheap to charge and run. Indeed, they are significantly cheaper to run than petrol or diesel vans. With forthcoming emissions charges expected to add to drivers’ expenses, using an older van will be more and more expensive soon.
Once you have chosen the kind of van you want to drive, you need to find appropriate insurance. At Axios Insurance & Reinsurance Solutions DMCC, we specialise in finding insurance policies for couriers and delivery drivers. We know how to get the right cover for you – whether you need public or personal liability, Goods in Transit insurance or even courier breakdown cover. Whatever kind of van you use, get your insurance with our help.