E-commercial vehicles are being used by more and more companies

Cologne Electromobility is Tier Mobility’s business. The start-up rents out e-scooters in 180 cities in 17 countries. However, to maintain the scooters and change batteries, the company has so far used classic vans with combustion engines. This should soon be over: A framework agreement with MAN provides for the delivery of up to 130 electric vans. The first battery-powered ‧eTGE vehicles have been on the road in Germany and Great Britain since November. By the end of April, 25 cities should be developed. There are currently eight.

An initial conclusion is positive: “With the MAN eTGE’s range of 130 kilometers, our employees get along well and can go about their daily tasks without any problems,” says animal spokesman Patrick Grundmann. There is hardly any loss of time when charging compared to refueling conventional diesel vehicles. The eTGE charges its battery from zero to up to 80 percent within 45 minutes. This period of time is integrated into the usual workflow. “The vans are charged during breaks and overnight,” says Grundmann.

The company does not want to provide detailed information on the profitability of the electric fleet compared to diesel. “The electrification of our service fleet is not just a cost-benefit analysis, but part of our sustainability strategy,” says Grundmann. However, operating costs are currently being saved in view of the high fuel prices. In the long term, the profitability of the vehicle fleet also depends on how long the vehicles are used. MAN dispels concerns about a possible short battery life. The vehicle manufacturer gives a guarantee of eight years or 160,000 kilometers driven on the battery.

Logisticians drive ahead

With the electrification of the transporter fleet, Tier Mobility is in vogue. More than one in three fleet managers in Germany can now imagine using e-vans in the future, according to a survey by Dataforce. According to the market analysts, battery-powered vehicles are still comparatively rare in this segment. However, their share of the entire fleet of vans rose from 3.4 to 5.3 percent last year.

The growth curve is likely to rise steeply in the coming years. Dataforce points out that manufacturers have announced numerous new models for this year – and fleet managers finally have more choice. Management consultancy McKinsey expects that by 2030, 54 percent of commercial van fleets in Europe will be electrified.

With the current subsidies, e-vans are already cheaper than diesel models in terms of costs per kilometer, says Bernd Heid, Senior Partner at McKinsey. “In the long term, they will prevail even without funding.” Another driver is the threat of entry bans for diesel vehicles in inner cities – which encourages craftsmen to rethink. However, the large delivery services are currently at the forefront of development, says Heid: “For reasons of sustainability, they can no longer afford to do without e-vans.” In addition, their routes, averaging 60 kilometers, can be planned very precisely, so that there are no range problems.

One of the pioneers is Deutsche Post with its “Streetscooters”. Shipments are now being delivered with 17,000 e-transporters. But the start-up bought by the logistics group at the end of 2014 is a burden on the balance sheet: in 2020 there was a loss of 318 million euros, compared to 115 million in the previous year. At the beginning of the year, after a long search for a buyer, Swiss Post handed over its in-house street scooter production to the Luxembourg company Odin Automotive.

In principle, however, the Bonn-based company is sticking to the street scooter and guaranteed a purchase of 9500 vehicles when it is sold. At the beginning of February, Odin announced the start of production at the Düren factory. “With the current line, we can complete 30,000 cars per year,” says Veronica Grigoriou, Odin’s chief communications officer. The street scooter should now also become more interesting for other delivery services that previously shied away from buying from the competition.

Odin will not change anything fundamental at first. Overall, the street scooter is well designed, so only small changes are needed to adapt the car to new markets such as the US, says Grigoriou. But they are working on improving the battery – for a longer range.

Range increases significantly

The competition is growing – because established car manufacturers are also assuming that demand will increase. Mercedes-Benz Vans, for example, recently presented a study of the e-Sprinter that takes into account the special requirements of parcel delivery companies. A light barrier automatically opens and closes the frequently used sliding door. The seat belt is equipped with a heater. The automobile manufacturer does not reveal whether and when these conveniences of the E-Sprinter study will go into series production.

For customers outside the logistics sector, the manufacturers are currently attracting primarily with high ranges. The version of the Mercedes E-Sprinter planned for the end of 2023 should cover a distance of more than 300 kilometers on one battery charge. Competitor Ford promises up to 317 kilometers for its e-transit, which is to be delivered from May. The electric version of the Fiat Ducato with 360 kilometers was considered the model with the longest range. The start-up Elaris, which sells electric cars made in China in Germany, wants to trump that. The high-roof panel van “Caro” is said to have a range of up to 450 kilometers.

In order to make the switch to e-vans palatable for medium-sized companies and craft businesses, manufacturers are increasingly relying on additional services. Odin intends to offer charging technology, financing and telematics services for everything to do with the street scooter in the future, announces Head of Communications Grigoriou. The goal: “We are developing a holistic approach as a service provider.” According to McKinsey expert Heid, this is the right way: “The limiting factor in the market ramp-up for e-transporters is the range of complete solutions for fleet operators. There is still a lot of catching up to do here, especially when it comes to planning and providing the infrastructure.”

The e-scooter company Tier Mobility uses not only its own stations in warehouses but also the public network to charge the batteries of the vans. The company does not want to join in the complaints about the poorly developed infrastructure for e-mobility. “Since we use the e-transporters almost exclusively in urban areas and for short distances, this does not affect us,” says company spokesman Grundmann.

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