Enterprise Flex-E-Rent has added 100 plug-in electric vans to its rental fleet. The electric vans will be available for daily rental as well as for longer-term flexible rental at 14 Enterprise Flex-E-Rent locations in the South of England and the Midlands.

The 50 Mercedes 55/44 kWh eSprinter vans have a range of up to 90 miles on a full charge, depending on the payload. The 50 smaller 35 kWh Mercedes eVito Panel vans also have a range up to 90 miles and can be fully recharged in six hours.

This investment will support businesses trying out electric vehicles as they plan for the ending of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030, according to Enterprise. Many businesses are consulting with Enterprise about how rental vehicles can help them shift to alternative fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

“We believe we have a valuable role to play in the decarbonization of transportation through the adoption of the latest technologies," said Danny Glynn, Enterprise Flex-E-Rent’s managing director. "Enterprise was one of the first rental companies to experiment with electric vans. In 2018, we partnered with infrastructure services specialist FM Conway to trial the use of plug-in electric vans in its London operations.”

Many U.K. cities are planning to introduce Clean Air and Low Emission Zones in 2021, driving interest in electric vehicles, and London has already announced the expansion of its Ultra-Low Emission Zone in October 2021. 

“We are encouraging all business customers to trial plug-in electric vehicle technology, especially in areas where clean air or low emission zones are in place or likely to come into effect soon,” said Glynn.

“Despite the perceptions around range and network, many businesses can quickly adapt to the requirements of using plug-in electric vehicles once they get started. There are many applications ideally suited for electric vans in service businesses and for deliveries, and we’re already discussing options with several of our customers.”

Recently, Enterprise added 30 new electric Renault ZOE cars to its rental fleet in Scotland and started a pilot program of 17 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric cars this year.