APK Group greener on the road from now on?
For Michael, the test period was a pleasant experience: "The E-Transit has more options than my car! For example, you have front and rear cameras, seat heating and more! The automatic gearshift is also very pleasant and the E-Transit is extremely smooth and manoeuvrable. In addition, the car teaches you how to drive more economically and safely. You get a message when you accelerate too fast or stop.
Nicole Cuyvers, Director of Resource Management, hopes that this will also make the drivers more aware of safe driving. "If we can reduce the number of accidents involving our drivers by using these vehicles, we will kill two birds with one stone. A more sustainable fleet and increased safety.
The E-Transit also has an application that shows you the nearby charging stations. A tool that is certainly not a luxury for drivers. In addition, the air conditioning is connected to another system, which means no loss of battery for the car. The carrying capacity of the van meets expectations. It can carry up to 1758 kilos.
The Ford E-transit has a nice charging speed, says Michael. In 35 minutes, 80% of your battery is charged. The remaining 20% takes a little longer. For a full charge, count on about two hours. "The only disadvantage so far is the driving distance", say Michael and Nicole. "You're still limited to about 300 kilometres."
The overall assessment of the E-Transit is positive. It is a suitable vehicle for short distances and site visits. For employees who are on the road a lot or have to travel long distances, the limited driving range is still a challenge.
"The greening of the vehicle and machine fleet has been on the table for some time, but a phased approach is in order," says Nicole Cuyvers. "We cannot go faster than technology allows us to. At the moment we are mainly focusing on the electrification of our passenger cars. The aim in this phase is to go completely electric and also to provide our employees with a charging station at home, but a concrete deadline has not yet been set." In the next phase, APK Group plans to focus on greener vans and even trucks. Whether these will run on batteries or hydrogen is something that technical developments in this sector will tell us.
The fact that our employees are moving in an ecological way within the 'smart and sustainable cities' that have been created is something that APK Group supports. The Ford Electric test project is to be the starting point of a whole series of sustainability initiatives in the area of our mobility.