Online shopping continues to explode in popularity, fueled even more by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as it turns out, online shoppers are also concerned about the environmental impact this fast-growing phenomenon is having as more and more delivery vehicles clog up the roads, according to a new Ford survey.
The Ford survey revealed that most shoppers in Germany and the UK would prefer to receive online deliveries transported using electric-powered vehicles. A full 58 percent of UK survey respondents said they would prefer their delivery service use an electric-powered vehicle, while 54 percent of those polled in Germany said the same thing.
More surprisingly, 49 percent of those in the UK would be prepared to wait longer for greener deliveries, with 38 percent in Germany also happy to receive their packages later. The number of shoppers who would be prepared to pay extra for more energy-efficient deliveries was fewer, but still totaled 28 percent in the UK and 21 percent in Germany.
Ford commissioned the survey of 1,000 people across the UK and Germany to better understand consumer attitudes towards electrification. In light of COVID-19 lockdowns, Black Friday is expected to be the biggest yet, driving an increase in van traffic delivering goods to customer doorsteps.
There are more than 32 million vans on Europe’s roads, and Ford has already begun introducing electrified versions of its best-selling vans for businesses in Europe – part of its more than $11.5 billion commitment to electrifying the company’s vehicle range.
“Shopping from home is very much the ‘new normal’ and it is encouraging that for many people, how they get their deliveries is a key concern. We’re helping delivery companies to reduce their carbon footprint with our hybrid and zero-emissions capable vans, including the upcoming all-electric E-Transit,” said Dave Petts, market lead, urban electrified vans, Ford of Europe.
The Ford Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid van is already on sale across Europe and combines Ford’s 1.0L EcoBoost gas engine with an underfloor battery pack. This advanced system delivers a zero-emissions range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) and a total range of 500 kilometers (310 miles), supported by innovative geofencing technology that automatically switches the van to battery-only mode in low-emission zones. Businesses can also set their own geo zones to improve air quality in sensitive locations such as schools, parks, and warehouses.
The recently announced Ford E-Transit van offers the same cargo space as existing diesel Transits and a targeted range of up to 350 kilometers (217 miles), enabling urban companies to work their usual routes regardless of load and weather.
We’ll have more on Ford’s electric vehicle strategy soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comment
If Ford did the same survey in the U.S. they will find a larger percentage in favor of cleaner delivery vehicles. Amazon has a new fleet of electric vans running, so Ford must get to the USPS, and all the private delivery companies to offer the E-Transit and detail the operational savings that the E-Transit will “deliver”.