Ford Pro is making an E-Transit available for 12 months to businesses on Electric Avenue to allow them to test the vehicle.

Ford Pro is making a van available throughout 2023 that traders will be able to reserve for their commercial vehicle needs.

Levi Roots, Brixton local Electric Avenue regular, is partnering with Ford Pro on a year-long collaboration to decarbonise his business logistics.

Businesses Healthy Eaters and K&N Fresh Meat will also help encourage the wider community to take part in test drives offered to the traders at the market.

Mandy Dean, director of commercial vehicles at Ford of Britain and Ireland, said: “Many of Electric Avenue’s local businesses have been serving customers for decades, spanning multiple generations, and probably with the support of a Transit.

“It is vital that these businesses continue to thrive as we shift towards an all-electric future together. Ford Pro is ready to support them every step of the way and is calling on councils and governments to get behind the switch too.”

Ford Pro’s initiative follows its recent research that showed that more than half (51%) of van drivers across the UK think that current charging infrastructure is not ready to support electric commercial vehicles.

However, its research also showed that 56% of respondents agreed that EVs could improve productivity via lower running costs, features such as the ability to keep an eye on any required maintenance (18%) and the ability to charge at home for maximum uptime and efficiency (12%).

The E-Transit is exempt from London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and congestion charge payments, which could save traders £27.50 per day compared to running a diesel van and is also exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) until April 2025.

Ford Pro’s survey also found three barriers to electric van adoption: difficulty finding parking, loading bays or depots with charging facilities (more than 75%), insufficient fast-charging options available (30%) and lack of appropriate charging stations negatively impacting productivity and profitability (29%).

Ford is calling on the UK government and local councils to increase their spending on EV infrastructure, ahead of the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales in 2030.

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