Electric scores on short runs
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FIFTY PER CENT savings in operating costs can be had, says Crompton Electricar, by using electric vehicles instead of internal combustion-engined vans on urban operations of less than 80km (50 ,miles) a day.
In its national campaign to promote the Electricar, Crompton has presented an investment appraisal using discountcash-flow analysis to compare the financial advantages of its Electricar against a comparable diesel-engined van. Based on a 248-day year at 64km (40 miles) per day, the analysis shows that the electric and diesel vehicle operating costs break even in about three and a half years, the electric vehicle giving real rates of return of about 30 per cent after tax, when compared with the diesel, Beyond the three-and-ahalf-year point the electric vehicle gave a greater cash flow benefit to the business.
A further comparison exercise, again between the Electricar and a diesel van, covering vehicle depreciation, tyres, licence and insurance, fuel and maintenance show annual savings of 31 to 54 per cent over the vehicle's 15-year working life. The overall total saving equates to 47 per cent.
Three basic facts are given by Crompton for the electric vehicles operating economy: • Vehicles are built for stopstart operation, and they are designed to have two or three times the life of similar petrol or diesel vehicles : • Electricity is cheaper than dery or petrol and though not immune from inflation its price can be relied upon to increase below the general level of inflation rather than above as diesel or petrol seems certain to do: • In maintenance the electric vehicle scores through its simple construction with relatively few moving parts.
Compared with the ic-engined vehicle, the electric vehicle requires less maintenance and suffers less downtime.
Initial Services Ltd, a linen hire organisation, has already evaluated two Crompton Electricars and has ordered six more. The walk-through vehicles have a 9.6cum (340cuft) load capacity and can carry up to 1272kg (25cwt). Vehicles have a top speed of 40km/h (25mph) and a range per battery recharge of up to 88km (55 miles). The batteries are carried in two sets, one each side of the chassis frame, and they weigh 1440kg (28 cwt).