Sales of all-electric vehicles in Europe and in North America are acknowledged, by environmentalists and by their manufacturers, to be disappointing, for a variety of reasons, not least that of high initial cost, attributable mainly to the expense of their batteries. Options for battery-packs to be leased make the initial outlay less onerous, but a three- or five-year lease requires a commitment-too-far for many potential purchasers in taking what they regard as a step into the unknown.
In a further small but significant blow to the future of electrics, Tata Motors has pulled the plug on its plans to market a small, 1.55 tonnes gvw, battery-electric van in the UK. The reason for the withdrawal of the Tata Ace van, some 15 months after making its debut at the 2011 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, is its failure to qualify for the UK government grant worth up to £8000 (US$12,850), or 20% of a new vehicle’s price, which is designed to kick-start sales of plug-in electric vans.
Sales of all-electric vehicles in Europe and in North America are acknowledged, by environmentalists and by their manufacturers, to be disappointing, for a variety of reasons, not least that of high initial cost, attributable mainly to the expense of their batteries
The grant is intended to offset the high cost of lithium-ion batteries. But the little Tata van is powered by traditional lead-acid batteries and has, in consequence, proved unable to meet the grant’s qualifying criteria for speed capability and driving range.
Tata UK said that although the downturn in the light van market had been a factor in the decision, failure to qualify for the grant was the clincher. The company added that the vehicle, which is based on the Indian company’s 700cc two-cylinder engined diesel van, but fitted instead, in a factory at Coventry, UK, with a 26kW electric traction motor, could not compete on price with grant-aided electric vans equipped with lithium-ion batteries.
It could be argued that the grant refusal by the UK authorities is somewhat short-sighted. An electric van like the Tata Ace, as dimensionally compact as say the Suzuki SuperCarry, is ideally suited for making small deliveries, from depots on the outskirts of urban areas, to shops in congested high streets or pedestrian precincts. In such working environments, its near-silent emission-free operation is a positive attribute, which ought to outweigh any shortcomings in speed and range.
It seems certain that when the newer technology of lithium-ion batteries and accompanying sophisticated control systems becomes more firmly established, unit costs will fall
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of electric delivery vehicles working in the UK alone, some of which have been in service for many decades. Most are employed on milk or bread deliveries to domestic premises. Nearly all are lead-acid battery powered. Therefore any like-for-like fleet replacements would clearly not qualify for the environmentally-driven electric vehicle grant.
Apart from their drivelines and batteries, those delivery ‘floats’ are effectively ageless, with their simple – and heavy – chassis frames, suspension, steering and brakes. However, it seems certain that when the newer technology of lithium-ion batteries and accompanying sophisticated control systems becomes more firmly established, unit costs will fall. They could well come down to a level where it will become viable either to replace today’s venerable ‘floats’ altogether with new grant-qualifying electric vehicles derived from volume-produced vans or chassis-cabs or, economically more questionable, to subject them to a major updating powertrain conversion.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
Alan Bunting has a background in engineering, and has been writing on commercial vehicle and powertrain related topics since the 1960s. He has been an Automotive World contributor since 1996.
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