Many small to medium-sized Irish companies are considering making the switch to an electric commercial vehicle. We understand it’s a big step but with the right information, you will be able to make a much more calculated decision. We think most people now appreciate that range and battery life are perfectly acceptable in around cities and large towns but what about rural Ireland? Could you live and work with a van using the current charging infrastructure? Here at Nevo, we are following the progress of not just passenger electric vehicles but also commercial vehicles closely. With that said, there is nothing like putting the vehicle and charging network to the test.

To do this, we teamed up with Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles to secure the new eVito for a rather special guest driver, Niall “Bressie” Breslin, during the month of April. Niall holds an MSc in mindfulness-based intervention and bachelor’s degrees in economics and sociology and is an honorary fellow of both the Royal College of Surgeons and the IADT. The bestselling author, musician, philanthropist, and former professional athlete was embarking on his nationwide ‘Where is my Mind?’ podcast tour and keen to reduce his carbon footprint whilst performing at 14 different theatres.

Bressie first off, thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. When the opportunity came up to live with the Mercedes-Benz eVito for a month, were you in any way apprehensive or excited by the prospect?

I suppose there was a hint of apprehension, having never driven an electric vehicle prior to this, but more so excitement to see if we could complete the nationwide tour in a carbon-neutral manner. When the opportunity came up to work with Nevo and Mercedes-Benz with the eVito, we saw it as the perfect time to try to reduce our ever-increasing tour costs.

How did you find the overall drive and managing the energy consumption during use?

Honestly, I loved it. Yes, it requires a little more planning but at no point did we feel range anxiety or anything. We simply looked at our destination and planned either our lunch stops or overnight stay in the vicinity of a charger. The range of 314km is pretty accurate and by using the onboard computer and phone app, you are never far from a charger.

Congratulations on the success of the ‘Where Is My Mind?’ Podcast Tour. Our data tells us you completed an impressive 2,432km and charged the vehicle 20 times in total. Where did you do most of your charging and how was the experience?

We charged using various suppliers from Easy Go to the many now on offer at forecourts around the country. During the month we had no issues with chargers not working just the odd bit of poor parking which comes down to charging etiquette really. I might have had to wait for 10 minutes to get a charger once or twice but it was by no means a painful experience and you can physically see the infrastructure growing around the country with new providers entering the market.

Completing a similar journey in diesel van would see you roughly using €16 worth per 100km travelled. Your actual electricity consumption came in at less than half that figure, working out at €7.89 per 100km travelled. This must be a considerable saving for any small business. Were you surprised?

Very, and this saving on fuel for us allowed for greater spend on the show itself. Having done this type of mileage in combustion-powered vehicles over the years, we reckon it cost us about a third of what it would ordinarily. It really is a no-brainer!

Can you give us your views on the transition to electric mobility? On the private car side registrations are climbing steadily but it is our ambition here at Nevo to educate small to medium-sized business owners and we believe your recent experience might help.

My views are simple in the sense that it’s going to happen regardless, so let’s start to make the transition. This was my first time to experience living with an EV and it was enough to convert me. I wouldn’t have the need for a van all year round, but I have since purchased an electric car and I am totally sold that it is the way forward. For business owners particularly in around cities and towns I think an electric van makes perfect sense. Understandably those that do greater mileage around the country, you will need to weigh up the best option. For me it was perfectly doable with a little planning. I would just love to see an incentive put in place for Ireland’s many theatres to have electric vehicle chargers on location. It would be ideal to charging whilst working or attending a gig!

Thanks so much Bressie, we are delighted to hear it was a pleasant experience living with the eVito. We believe if your business values sustainability and wants to reduce its carbon footprint, an electric van should certainly be considered. If you are unsure, there are various options to trial electric vehicles now available, and feel free to contact us anytime here in Nevo.