Features
10 déc 20

eLCVs set to trend in 2021, survey says

The boom in last-mile delivery and the demand for clean mobility are driving the demand for electric commercial vehicles, or eLCVs. That’s one of the main conclusions of LeasePlan’s latest Mobility Insights Report. 

Surveying the attitudes of over 5,000 drivers in 22 countries, the report measures the impact of the pandemic on mobility. The main points:

  • Mobility patterns have changed: 65% say they are less likely to use public transport, 76% are more likely to use their own car.
  • Car usage is split evenly between work and leisure (both at 47%).
  • Green awareness has increased: 53% take climate change more seriously, with 47% saying they are now more likely to switch to a zero-emission EV. Looking at country level the report shows that Turkey and Portugal are the two countries with highest percentages of climate awareness change post-Covid19.
  • Online retail has boomed: 47% are more likely to use online shopping and home delivery for discretionary spending, bolstering demand for LCV and eLCV deliveries.
  • Last-mile is ready for change: 47% are worried about congestion and pollution by delivery vehicles. Younger people (57%) and people living in a big city (52%) are most worried about increasing congestion from delivery vehicles. Fortunately, 61% of delivery drivers want to coordinate with their colleagues and share their LCV to reduce congestion, and 75% want to switch to eLCVs to reduce pollution. 

“LCVs have never been more important: any retail company that wants to be successful in the New Normal will require a fleet of LCVs to meet the booming demand for online shopping and last-mile delivery. But this demand has to be met responsibly, and concerns about congestion and pollution from delivery vehicles need to be addressed. The good news is that OEMs are making more electric delivery vehicles than ever before, so in 2021 there’s no excuse not to swap the white van for a green van and make each and every delivery zero-emission," said Mark Lovett, Head of Commercial Vehicles at LeasePlan. 

“This report is a wake-up call for the industry: shared mobility and public transport are out, safe and clean private transport are in,” said Tex Gunning. The LeasePlan CEO also called upon policymakers to respond to the demand for EVs by increasing incentives and investing in infrastructure. 

Image: Shutterstock

Authored by: Frank Jacobs