“On an unconverted van, the return on investment using our system might be up to five years, but where the van has already been expensively converted for a specific application, the return would be much quicker,” said Bedeo founder and CEO Osman Boyner.
“Currently, operators have three options: sell your old van for £8000, buy a new diesel van for around £25,000 or buy a new electric van for £50,000. For around £25,000, we give them a fourth, hybrid solution that is good for a company’s bottom line and for sustainability in the sense that the operator is maximising a vehicle’s usefulness rather than just replacing it.”
What is it like to drive?
Apart from the electric motors visible through the spokes of the Citroën Relay’s rear wheels, there are few clues to the dual nature of Bedeo’s demonstrator van.
In the cab, it’s more obvious: on the dashboard is a neatly integrated control panel incorporating the powertrain mode button, while the rear-view mirror, redundant before anyway, displays the battery status.
The van starts in electric mode off the ignition key and away we go, smoothly and quietly. This aspect is sure to win plaudits from drivers exhausted by a diesel van’s perpetual vibration, shunting and clatter.
Forgetting it’s in electric mode, I dip the clutch and try to select a gear but, fortunately, a mechanical transmission lock prevents the lever from moving.
I stop the van and restart it in diesel mode. The noise and shunting soon become wearing, so I stop and change back to electric by selecting neutral and pressing the Mode button. The diesel engine cuts out and the electric motor takes over, seamlessly and quietly.