If the thought of owning an electric vehicle is still a shock to the system, then let Professional Builder be your guide with our Toyota Professional Proace City Electric long-term loan
Looking for a new van and considering making the switch to battery power? Over the next few months Professional Builder will be living with the Toyota Professional Proace City Electric and considering key features with each instalment. Given that it remains the biggest single source of anxiety for any prospective EV owner, range and charging seems the sensible place to begin our journey.
Here at Professional Builder we have been lucky enough to have driven and reviewed a good many electric vehicles. The argument that we have consistently put forward is that many local jobbing builders don’t clock up significant levels of mileage. Indeed, the van is likely to be parked up outside a job for much of the day, with perhaps a trip to the merchants and a bite to eat besides. Studies have, in fact, shown that drivers routinely overestimate the miles they drive, a reality that should make an electric vehicle compatible with many construction businesses.
The Toyota Proace City’s 50kW battery provides a headline figure of 208 miles from a single full charge. Of course, there are caveats here, because the real-world number can vary quite widely depending on the payload, temperature, and driving style. EVs are the opposite of their diesel counterparts in that they are more efficient in traffic than on motorways, for example. It is in the former stop/start driving conditions that energy recovery systems come into their own, where some charge is clawed back when braking, for instance. In addition, battery electric vehicles don’t much care for the cold.
Nonetheless it’s conceivable that some tradespeople could get away with only charging the vehicle once a week. If you have an EV charging point at home, and you take advantage of cheaper overnight tariffs, then the numbers start to add up. The Toyota Proace City is actually equipped with a timed charging function – that allows you to plug the vehicle in and then delay charging – with the simple press of a button next to the vehicle’s charging port.
From a home or office supply it will fully charge in around 4 ½ hours. From a fast-charging public facility, however, you can reach 0-80% in approximately 32 minutes. EV infrastructure is rapidly expanding with the likes of supermarkets, and public car parks adding to service stations in the available choice. The app and digital services that resources like Zapmap provide will not only tell you were the nearest place to charge is but also whether they’re available, as well as pricing. The Toyota Proace also has a built-in system that will identify suitable charging points via the touchscreen infotainment system.
There are three driving modes to choose from on the Proace City, each of which can be selected via the centre console. We will be exploring the experience at the wheel in more detail in a future edition, suffice to say here that selecting ECO will conserve battery power – albeit at the expense of some performance and comfort features.
Even when taking into account recent increases in energy prices, the running costs of EVs are lower than diesel or petrol and there’s also reduced maintenance expenditure. Toyota does provide a cost calculator to prove just that on its website and one of the dealers from its extensive network will equally be able to walk you through the economics.
Granted, the initial purchase price might be higher, and it is here that leasing could be a good option. Owning an EV will require a modicum of forward planning, and you’ll need to get to know the vehicle so you can gauge just how you can get the most out of it, but there is no sense in which it should impede your mobility.
In the next issue we’ll take a look at one of the big ticks for EVs and that’s their performance on the road.
For further information on the Toyota Professional Proace City Electric visit Proace City | Electric or Diesel Small Van | Toyota UK.
