Euro Car Parts trials EVs on Isle of Wight

LKQ Euro Car Parts has launched an electric vehicle (EV) trial on the Isle of Wight.

The trial will see an electric Vauxhall Vivaro and an electric Renault Kangoo join the island’s fleet for six months, with two charge points installed to power them.

The Isle of Wight was chosen for the trial following a review of LKQ Euro Car Parts’ national fleet, taking into account charge point infrastructure, to identify branches with vans whose typical mileage is suited to the range and capability of an EV.

Vehicles on the island typically cover approximately 70 miles per day, making it the ideal location from which to test and learn from new technology.

Vauxhall and Renault have sent digital training resources to the LKQ Euro Car Parts team on the Isle of Wight, for drivers to complete before starting the trial. The team will then monitor how the vehicles are performing throughout the six months, with a view to ultimately electrifying the remainder of the island’s fleet and increasing the number of charge points.

Tony Shearer, Director of Branch Operations Excellence at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said: “Moving our commercial fleet of around 2,800 vehicles to EVs isn’t going to happen overnight, but battery technology and charging infrastructure are improving all the time.

“Our plan is to make the transition as and when EVs can seamlessly move into job roles that previously belonged to petrol and diesel vehicles, so that our commitment to reducing emissions comes to life with no impact on the effectiveness of our operation – and with no changes to the service levels our customers expect.

“Our size, scale and commitment to logistics excellence means we can get parts to every area of the UK on the same day, and in most cases, within the hour. We recognise that as market leader, we have a big role to play in pioneering the adoption of the latest vehicle technology on our fleet, which over time, could make a big contribution to the country’s net zero ambitions.”

As battery-powered vehicles become increasingly common on our roads – with hybrids already present in the independent aftermarket, and EVs to follow – LKQ Euro Car Parts is urging garages to invest in the skills and resources they need to service and repair them.