Pretty much all of the press releases and commentary in the cleantech industry about sustainable vehicles tends to centre on private transportation ? the latest car or piece of tech that?ll hopefully render the millions of journeys by private individuals more environmentally friendly. And this fine, because it?s simply reflective of the realities of the green fuel industry ? most of the ideas and bucks seem revolve around regular cars or bikes.
However, the industry seems to be missing a trick if saving the environment is the chief motivation, because many millions more miles are undertaken each and every day in the pursuit of commercial ventures ? be they deliveries, mass transportation, emergency services etc. And the reality is that whilst the movement to convert all that private mileage to clean energy is incredibly valuable, if we could render all business, commercial and public service vehicles green as well we?d truly be making massive steps towards negating the negative environmental impact of the millions of combustion-powered journeys carried out every day.
With this in mind then, a startup (that?s based in the UK but due to be manufactured in Missouri) called Emerald Automotive has stated an intention to deliver a plug-in hybrid van to the UK by 2015. According to the company, it?s being engineered to offer a 66 mile electric driving range, supported by a petrol engine to power the van for almost another 400 miles or so if required. The company?s van celebrated certification of its demonstrator vehicle DV2 by the UK?s Vehicle Certification Agency earlier in 2012, and is now gearing up to commence production as quickly as possible.
Government screwups
Sadly, this idea from Emerald Automotive isn?t exactly a unique, or even novel one. It actually popped up a while ago via a different startup called Bright Automotive, but that one unfortunately fell foul of the UK?s Department of Energy, who promised much-needed funding which ultimately failed to come through in time to save the business. This time round Emerald started off by similarly chasing the DOE?s cash, but they decided against pursuing it in the end after the slow-witted government department (peopled, lest we forget, by individuals who?ve never founded or run businesses themselves) pushed the funding meetings further and further back.
Despite not relying upon public funding though, Emerald would appear to have crafted a robust business plan, based on solid breakeven points and realistic revenue goals. Their initial model ? the t-001 ? is scheduled for unveiling in 2015, and when it appears on sale a 25 kWh battery pack will provide the 66 miles of pure electric driving, which, when combined with the petrol engine?s further 397 mile range, will give a total driving range of 463 miles.
Considering the average daily big-city / small business mileage, these 463 miles will be almost certainly more than will ever be required from a single battery charge, which means that the t-001, appealing as it will to the type of firms that will mostly be doing urban deliveries, will be far more practical than expected. Of course some of the best and brightest have come a cropper over the years by trying to second guess their markets, but it?s reasonable to say that in terms of aiming at the small business owner who wants an economical form of delivery vehicle, Emerald would seem to have sussed their target consumers out pretty well.
There so far hasn?t been any price-related info made available, but Emerald are claiming a future pay-back on the price premium of 48 months in the U.S. and a much better 17 months in Europe. Not bad then, at least for their potential European customers.
So can it make it?
Unlike many over-optimistic startups, Emerald has set itself only modest sales targets, shooting for 5,000 sales in year 1 and double the next year. A clear case we think of managing expectations from the outset, and perhaps not the worse for it. We think that much of the firm?s future possible success may well depend on the potential of battery prices to continue dropping in price, as this will naturally add extra profit to each vehicle sale without any extra effort, in much the same was a collapse in the price of oil will automatically had fortunes to, say, an airline?s bottom line. If this were to happen, and assuming their product is as solid and appealing as we dare hope, then it?s certainly possible that Emerald Automotive could, in several years, be the company to deliver a vital dose of fuel efficiency to various industries, from small businesses to major logistics.
Let?s hope this one makes it.
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