25 November
The Electric Van Experience (EVE) has now surpassed the 100 participant milestone as the final spaces for vehicle loans start to fill up. Mark Bushnell, a cameraman of over 20 years who has worked with the likes of HBO, Channel 4 and the BBC, was the 100th participant in the scheme.
Mark took a Toyota Proace electric van on loan to use in his business for carrying his recording equipment around. We sent Mark some over some questions about his experience and this is what he had to say:
Have you enjoyed the electric van and why?
I love it. I am already a convert to electric cars, and we have a charging point at our house, so it’s really easy to keep it charged up and ready to go. The van itself is no different to driving any other van, but it’s also super responsive, quiet and very comfortable. Having a van has made it so much easier to move my equipment around instead of having to load up the car.
What’s your opinions on electric vehicles now you’ve be able to loan an electric van?
I have owned an electric car for the past 2 years and I would never go back. I like the technology and the way EVs drive. The lack of infrastructure definitely brings challenges, but you do learn to work around these and plan accordingly. I run a limited company and there are so many great benefits to going electric. It’s a big investment but it’s really paid off for us.
Would you recommend the scheme to others and why?
I have done. I pretty much tell anyone I meet about the van and the scheme. It’s good to talk through the pros and cons and to give them my experience of driving an EV. I am really keen for people to try EVs because I think as soon as you do, you just get it. There is a huge amount of negativity around EVs that I really don’t understand, so yes, I am really keen for people get to try them out for themselves.
Do you have any plans to buy an electric van in the future?
Absolutely. Range is definitely an issue for me though. There are some great EV cars with close to 300 mile range – I regularly work in London so that sort of range would be great as I wouldn’t have to build in charge up time to my day. There isn’t really a van option at the moment that can get close to the 300 mile range. Although I recently worked with Volkswagen around their ID Buzz van and I got a chance to spend some time with that van. It looks and drives great. I would order one today but the wait list is far too long, and I suspect there will be better options by the time it becomes available.
Mark also had this to say:
As part of my job as a cameraman, I work for people like Volkswagen and Scania where I have had the chance to film and drive a range of their EVs. It’s been great turning up for work in an electric van as it definitely a conversation starter! I have loads of experiences of range anxiety and trying to charge up, but this has changed over the last couple of years. Thanks so much for loaning me the van – absolutely love it and really don’t want to give it back!
To find out more about the Electric Van Experience click here Workplace Travel Service: Electric Van Experience – Transport Nottingham
