Kings Transport has added two battery electric powered vans to its fleet. The Skywell EC11 E-Cargo vans will be servicing an IKEA contract. Reportedly offering the largest capacity of any commercial electric van in the Australian market, the Skywell units are considered particularly well suited for last mile delivery. The vans are equipped with a 73.6 kWh battery, CCS Type 2 charging and a 22kw capacity AC onboard charger. A range of between 200- 300km (based on load) offers sufficient route coverage for daily use. Kings currently operates an EV fleet of seven vehicles including new Foton iBlue trucks, with more coming online throughout the year.
These new vehicles were part of Kings Group’s broader strategy to reduce the company’s carbon footprint as it moves towards more sustainable solutions in transport according to Barry Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Kings Group. “As a group we’re conscious of our environmental impact, so we’re working with CarBon to take the lead in the integrated logistics sector and transitioning to zero emission vehicles where feasible,” he said. The vehicles were sourced through electric vehicle leasing company, CarBon, which was founded by CEO Scott Gillespie. He said commercial vehicles were presently responsible for around one third of carbon emissions, so electrification at scale will play a significant role in helping to slow climate change.
“Transitioning to EVs insulates against regulatory dynamics, improves brand equity and importantly, zero- emissions vehicles are projected to reach total cost of ownership parity across multiple use cases in the next decade,” he said. Kings first committed to electric vehicles back in 2017.