The small PCV industry has lagged behind the full-size sector in regard to alternative fuels. That’s down to several things: Weight considerations and a lack of government money to dull the blow of increased purchase costs, among others.
But that may change. Mellor’s electric Orion E has entered service, and the manufacturer has long held that is has a niche in the UK market.
News also reaches miniplus that the first order has been placed for compressed natural gas (CNG)-fuelled Iveco Dailys for use in passenger-carrying applications.
The other side of the coin is that Euro 6 diesel is, despite what is portrayed by the mainstream media, almost zero-emission in itself. It’s difficult to argue with that. It’s also interesting to consider the costsof fuelling or recharging infrastructure for CNG and electric respectively.
What is clearer is that if your operation is involved with the ultra-low emission zones that are set to spread across the UK, diesel many no longer be the only option for powering your fleet.
In the past, CNG or electric would have been seen as pie-in-the-sky for minibuses. Now, with news that the market has seen its first adoption of both, diesel’s dominance may already have been broken.
