Holding on to pole position we meet Vauxhall LCV product manager Brad Miller

HOLDING ON TO POLE POSITION

INTERVIEW

Vauxhall has rapidly become the biggest selling electric van manufacturer in the UK. LCV product manager Brad Miller explains to Van User how the manufacturer plans to keep that position going forwards.

VanUser: By early November 2021 you had sold 2,158 e-LCVs year-to-date, primarily Vivaro-e. With Combo-e and Movano-e coming online early in the New Year, how do you see that expanding in 2022? Brad Miller: Vauxhall is the UK’s number one e-LCV manufacturer, a position we hope to hold on to. The Vivaro-e is around 15% of our total Vivaro orders today and is growing rapidly. We’d expect to see that ratio double next year as more fleets and business customers make the switch to fully electric. We would expect Combo-e to follow a similar trajectory to what we have seen with Vivaro-e.

VU: How do you see the breakdown in demand between the three model sizes when it comes to e-LCVs once they are all fully available? Will the heavier vans be the most popular? BM: Sales opportunity for Movano-e is good but there are still nuances and aspects to the heavier van segment that mean Vivaro-e and Combo-e will be the most prevalent models in our electric line-up.

VU: When it comes to e-LCVs, are you seeing a different retail/ fleet mix in terms of demand than you would normally expect with diesel powered vans?

Continued from previous page BM: SMEs are already buying into electric vans. Whilst announcements have been more on larger fleet deals, Vivaro-e is selling well also in retail. And the customer base is diverse from single owneroperators to small fleets. That acceptance has already begun among Vauxhall LCV customers. Vauxhall is leading the market and already offers an electric variant of every sell. Vauxhall will be completely electric across vans and cars by 2028.

VU: Are all of your dealers ready to sell and service e-LCVs with trained technicians and other staff? BM: We have a suite of training for e-LCVs that is designed to enhance our sales exec’s knowledge. Further modules will be introduced next year due to the constantly evolving nature of e-LCVs. Each site already has one qualified e-LCV technician, rising to two by the end of 2021.

VU: Does Vauxhall have a preferred charging station partner that can help to install charge points for smaller fleets, as new companies move to EV? BM: Yes, we have partnerships with both Pod Point and British Gas, who we recommend to smaller fleets.

VU: Given the problems that all manufacturers are experiencing with supercapacitors, shipping etc, what are Vauxhall’s lead times looking like for the three models? BM: We expect to have sufficient supply in Q1/Q2 to meet our forecast expectation. By the end of the next year, Vauxhall will produce the Combo-e (and the Combo-e Life MPV) at its plant in Ellesmere Port. It will be the first Stellantis plant to produce a solely battery-electric model.

VU: Does your fleet preparation centre within the Luton plant, where you were installing racking etc, offer conversion work on e-LCVs and if so what is available? BM: Vauxhall is no longer using the vehicle conversion centre at the Luton plant for fleet work. The Luton plant continues to build the Vivaro and Vivaro Life for Vauxhall, as well as vehicles for its Stellantis sister brands.

VU: Demand for EVs in the passenger car market is growing rapidly, do you think we will see as quick a growth in demand for electric vans, or will this take longer to

We would expect Combo-e to follow a similar trajectory to what we have seen with Vivaro-e “

work through? BM: Vivaro-e orders are growing rapidly. We expect to see orders double next year as more fleets and business customers make the switch to fully electric. We would expect Combo-e to follow a similar trajectory to what we have seen with Vivaro-e.

VU: As part of Stellantis, your vans are now offered with multiple different badges. How does Vauxhall differentiate itself from Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat and to a lesser extent Toyota and what can a Vauxhall dealer offer, particularly to SME customers? BM: Whilst the vehicle chassis and powertrain are shared, we offer different specifications than our sister brands, as we have a different customer base and we also have a unique retailer experience.

VU: As supply hopefully starts to catch up with demand next year, what is your prediction for the UK van market in 2022 and in particular for e-LCV as a percentage of the overall market? BM: We believe it will continue to grow. As I said earlier, interest and orders from SME’s and large fleets has never been higher and that is reflected in our order bank. As one of only a handful of manufacturers with an e-LCV available across its line-up, we hope this will continue in to 2022 and beyond.