VAN Management 109

According to the European Commission, a large part of urban traffic must be decarbonised by 2030. Manufacturers have very precise (and quite difficult) targets to meet, with corresponding fines. According to them, the electric van will be 'the topic of the year 2021'. The electric drive heralds the arrival of new brands and is now available from all manufacturers, often even in two different lines. But there is still a certain malaise …

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has acknowledged that it has developed the electric version of its Crafter (and in particular its autonomy) to meet the needs of parcel deliverers in Germany. And it is true that with the explosion of e-commerce in 2021, with the help of some virus or other, parcel transport has exploded in our country. However, many of these parcels are transported by small freelancers who work as subcontractors for one of the seven major 'last-mile' specialists. As we will read further in this issue of VAN Management, this model is not at all conducive to the purchase of 'green and expensive' vehicles. And since the Belgian authorities at all levels have used neither carrot nor stick to encourage fleet managers to buy electric vehicles, 2021 could well be yet another year of transition. To the annoyance of the manufacturers?