Racing start
15 March 2021
Like the official 0-60mph acceleration figure for his new electric car (4.5 seconds), my story last Friday about Genquip Groundhog sales and marketing manager Pete Beach’s first day with the vehicle got off to a rapid start.
The number of views for a social media post about it hit four figures in quick time. Given this level of interest, I’ll be giving the next update earlier than I originally expected, later this week.
What was expected, however, was the debate that it sparked about the pros and cons of electric cars. Can they meet the needs of high-mileage professionals in hire – and, indeed, many other industries? You can check out the original post here.
Initial feedback included a post from Peter Douglas, CEO and managing director of IPAF (The International Powered Access Federation), saying: “I’ve had a Tesla Long Range for 18 months and never looked back. The head office in Cumbria is 185 miles away from my home in Leicester and I get there comfortably with plenty to spare when I go there. Super-chargers on the motorway network make it very efficient to charge in around 40 minutes or to top up while I grab a coffee.”
However, Gary Clements, a director of Adlington Welding Supplies, reported a few challenges, sometimes finding “charging stations out of order and even the Ecotricity app was down so I couldn’t charge at the motorway. Nightmare.” Indeed, Gary tells me that a journey from Luton to his home in Lancashire ended up taking nine hours, arriving after midnight, having encountered a series of out-of-order charging points and almost running out of battery – he had four miles left before he recharged in Stoke.
Providing and maintaining an efficient infrastructure is obviously crucial.
John Hayes, area sales manager with M&S Hire of Sittingbourne, believes that electric vehicles aren’t yet within the reach of all. “The problem is still distance. The Jaguar iPace and Teslas are out of price range. The Peugeot e208 probably offers the best distance for the money but for someone like me the cost-effective models aren’t here yet.”
One thing’s for sure: this debate will run for some time. Hopefully like Pete’s car.
