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MARKET REPORT VEHICLE HIRE


Miles of opportunity


A number of hire companies are introducing vehicles to their fleet to complement their main activities and to explore a new revenue stream. Alan Guthrie reports.


Amongst the fundamental principles of hire is that it meets a need for equipment that might be too expensive for someone to buy outright, especially if only required for a short period, or to enable a person to try an item to see if they like it before they purchase one. And factors like these are some of the reasons behind an innovative vehicle hire activity.


Launched in 2014, EVision Electric Car Hire is a separate business within the H.E Group plant hire operation founded by Chairman Hugh Edeleanu. It operates from three group locations, with its head office in Strood, Kent, and depots at Cullompton, Devon, and Castleford in West Yorkshire for nationwide coverage. These are staffed by vehicle rental specialists and the activity describes itself as “the UK’s first and largest all-electric car rental company.”


EVision specialises in both short and long-term hire of electric vehicles, as well as offering chauffeured services, and the fleet currently comprises more than 150 vehicles from Tesla, BMW and Renault. All come with unlimited mileage and the service enables curious customers to try out an electric car for themselves.


The next stage in transportation


“I had the idea for EVision (www.evrent.co.uk) six years ago when it started to become clear that major problems were developing associated with using established propulsion technologies,” Hugh Edeleanu told EHN. “Fossil fuels are pollutants, the price of oil is increasing along with the cost of extracting it, and transporting and storing the fuel can be potentially hazardous. Electric vehicles represent the next stage in


EVision’s fleet includes various Tesla models.


transportation, progressing from using horses, then steam power, oil and now electricity. EVision serves a great variety of customers, ranging from individuals who want to try one over a weekend, to companies who hire them over the long-term.”


25 One-stop-shop service


While the hire of electric vehicles is very much a niche opportunity, a number of other hirer companies are exploring this market by offering conventional cars and vans fuelled by petrol or diesel. Amongst these


One of the main issues that first-time hirers of electric vehicles have is ‘range anxiety’, the concern that you might not have enough charge in your car to reach your destination. However, EVision points out that the average daily journey in the UK is of less than 30 miles and that even the model it offers with the lowest range on a full battery will cover up to 150 miles on a single charge. It suggests that people planning to undertake a longer journey can use a charge point location map to plan their trip.


Models that recipients of an EVision ‘gift experience’ can drive include the BMW i3.


Certainly Hugh Edeleanu - who drives an electric vehicle himself - says he has no hesitation in embarking on a journey from, say, Kent to Cumbria covering around 350 miles. “Range anxiety soon disappears when people are familiar with the vehicles. It’s just like using a mobile phone throughout the day: you plan ahead so you won’t run out of battery charge.” All Tesla cars in the fleet show the position of the Tesla Supercharger points along a route when it is programmed into the vehicle’s SatNav.


EVision also offers a number of ‘gift experience’ vouchers whereby the recipient has the opportunity to drive a Tesla model S, a BMW i3 or a Renault Zoe E. “These are very popular and we effectively get three bangs per buck,” said Hugh Edeleanu. “We have the initial ‘wow’ factor they get when they open the envelope and they think about the vehicle, and then they bear it in mind over the following weeks as they see the voucher on the mantelpiece. Finally they enjoy the day or week driving the vehicle, so our brand enjoys three exposure opportunities.”


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