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In 2020, ~70,000 electric buses were sold globally with Chinese manufacturers holding the chunk of manufacturing (61,000) units. Yutong held the highest market share globally for electric buses sold.
Europe meanwhile saw a substantial increase in electric vans in 2020 with 26.2% increase in 2020 compared to 2019. 28,597 electrically chargeable vans were sold in Europe in 2020. France and Germany were the main markets in this region.
Vans and buses were the main electric commercial vehicles sold, though trucks and other special purpose vehicles will soon gather increasing market share mainly in China, Europe and USA.
To know more about Global Electric Van Market, read our report
The company General Motors announced the development of a full-size electric van for cargo in the Chevrolet fleet as a medium/light-duty truck.
The vehicles will be offered as a BEV with the company’s Ultium cells as well as Hydrotec fuel cells. However, the launch is expected to be in the year 2025. Daimler’s subsidiary FUSO has launched the new electric light-duty truck Canter in Europe and its sales.
The company Daimler Trucks also launched a new line of consulting services and chargers for the electric commercial vehicle market in support of deploying more fleets for electrification.
The company GMC has announced the addition of yet another electric pick-up truck after the success of its Hummer EV. Fiat has launched the electric version of its van Ducato. The company has also announced the variants with 2 battery sizes and the price of the e-Ducato to be $73,369 which is twice of the ICE vehicle.
The company Rivian has announced the use of Samsung SDI’s battery cells for its R1T electric pick-up vans/trucks and for the R1S electric SUV and also for the company’s upcoming electric commercial vehicles.
The company Tevva which produces electric commercial vehicles announced partnership with Vattenfall, a major European energy company to develop a zero-emission vehicle fleet to curb the emissions through public transportation. The company Daimler and PGE (Portland General Electric) launched their new electric truck charging station in Portland, Oregon which is first-of-its-kind.
General Motors has announced development of a new commercial vehicle brand Brightdrop which consists of a hub motor and powered with electric pallets which will assist the movement of goods easily for short distances. The company Proterra launched its fifth generation ZX5 battery-electric transit bus which features a new streamlined design.
The vehicle is equipped to store 660kW of energy and deliver 330 miles of range for drive. Mercedes Benz which is a subsidiary of Daimler AG has introduced an all-electric eCitaro G light duty commercial vehicle which is equipped with a new solid state battery. The company BYD developed a Blade Battery which can also be employed in light duty commercial vehicles set to mitigate the concerns regarding battery safety in EVs.
The governments across the globe are trying to promote e-mobility by giving subsidies and incentives to producers and consumers as a whole. For instance, the government of India has announced plans to lower the GST on electric vehicles from 12% to 5% in addition to the $2101 worth tax exemptions that will be given on the loan issued for the purchase of electric vehicles.
The South Korean government announced plans to provide $900 million worth tax exemptions as well as subsidies for the purchase and development of electric and fuel cell based vehicles.
With the piloting of a Blue Bird Type C school bus powered by a SEA-Drive(R) 120b power-system, SEA Electric, the global leader in e-Mobility technology, continues its drive into the zero-emissions school bus arena.
The pure battery-electric Type C model can carry up to 84 passengers and provides market-leading performance and value for money to school bus fleets.
The platform’s technology has been validated with over 1.5 million miles of real-world telematics data, demonstrating SEA Electric’s reliability as a business partner.
Schools are increasingly turning to zero-emission school bus technology to reduce their carbon footprint while improving air quality around their campuses and communities.
Aside from the environmental benefits, SEA Electric’s systems have lower maintenance and continuous operating costs, thanks to the elimination of fuel and the reduction of moving components, which reduces service costs and downtime.
Also, with mid-mounted batteries and no need for active temperature control, this battery technology optimises safety and operating costs.
Schools around North America may take a step towards the future today with the SEA Type C EV.
The SEA-Drive(R) 120b power-system, which has found favour in a wide range of commercial vehicle applications throughout the world, is at the heart of the model.
The package has a range of up to 150 miles between charges, more than enough for even the most demanding school bus route, with a maximum power of 335hp and peak torque of 1,845lb-ft.
China is the largest developer and manufacturer of electric buses across the globe. The country’s demand is supported by the number of national sales targets, supportive subsidies, municipal air quality targets as well as favorable laws.
China is witnessing the growth in the electric commercial vehicle market, more than 30 cities in China which include Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Foshan, Zhongshan and Dongguan have announced plans to achieve 100% electrified public transport.
A Chinese autonomous driving startup company, FABU.AI has announced the funding of $15.438 million received in the series B funding round from DYEE and Cowin capital. The investment will be used in the deployment of the company’s car-road-cloud integrated solution to be used in the autonomous trucks used in port transportation and city shuttle services.
Many Chinese electric mobility companies are expanding their operations internationally by increasing bus deployment in other countries. In the year 2020, Chinese automakers sold approximately 61,000 new electric buses whereas the total production accounted for about 150,000 in China.
In June 2021, China sold 3135 units of new energy buses large and medium which was a year on year 49.09% decrease from the previous year 2020. The company Yutong has ranked first with monthly sales volume of 619 units, BYD has ranked second with 492 units sold. Yinlong has sold 251 units and King Long has sold 243 units in the month.
In December 2020, the company Yutong Bus signed an agreement with the Qatar Free Zones Authority as well as Mowasalat to develop a KD factory in Qatar. The company is also set to supply 741 units of electric buses for the FIFA world cup to be held in 2022.
Similar to the passenger vehicle market in China, the commercial vehicle market in China was mainly driven by subsidies. King Long group received more than 10x its profits in subsidies in 2015 while Zhongtong received 3x its annual profit. The annual capacity for NEV bus production is 100,000 in China currently. Domestic sales were affected when subsidies were dropped.
To battle this, Chinese OEMs have started exporting electric buses to the rest of the world. Various OEMs have also set up joint ventures such as BYD-ADL in the UK, Yutong – Pelican etc. to improve manufacturing capabilities, share technological knowledge and increase global market share as electric buses pick up globally.
In Europe, more than 75% of the commercial electric vehicle sales will be based on LCVs, mainly vans. This is due to the market size as well as easier purchasing price for LCVs over buses and trucks.
The European Union is committed within the Paris agreement – COP21 which is directed to achieve 20% reduction in greenhouse gases in the year 2020-2021 as part of the second phase in the Kyoto Protocol. The union has announced target plans to reduce greenhouse gases by 40% by the year 2040 and complete net-zero by 2050.
The Dutch electric bus producer Ebusco and the telematics solution company ViriCiti introduced a formal partnership agreement for 7 years which will help Ebusco to power its fleet of electric buses with a live monitoring system to be put in use with ViriCiti’s fleet management system.
There are multiple subsidies in Europe to transition fleets to electric. Dutch government offers 10% of the van upto 5,000 pounds. 125 million pounds are allocated for this subsidy. In France, there is a 5,000 pound subsidy for a LCV which costs upto 45,000 pound, but it decreases to 3,000 pounds after the price increases above 45,000 pounds.
Europe also has legislation at multiple city centers to be emission free. This will ensure fleets operating in city centres to shift to electric , both PHEV and BEV. The PHEV only electric range will also have to be sufficient enough to handle a day’s journey in city centres at full electric
The electric commercial vehicle market is estimated at $xx Billion in 2022 with xx units in 2030. The CAGR will be xx% from 2023-2030
The Asia-Pacific region is estimated to grow steadily with respect to high demand to incorporate electric buses and vans for public transportation. The key automakers and OEMs are developing more efficient and economical designs for commercial vehicles that fulfill the governmental regulations as well as the clean initiatives.
The increase in stringent emission regulations and norms in countries across the globe has incentivised OEMs to develop more technologies for e-mobility. Europe is leading the market in the adoption of commercial electric vehicles in accordance with the norms set up by the European Union.
As of March 2021, the central government of India has assigned 35.45 billion INR ($486 million) as incentives for the deployment of 7,090 electric buses, with support of subsidies amounting to 5 million INR ($69,000) per bus. Presently, 5,595 electric buses have been allocated to 64 cities and State Transport Unions, analysed to run over 3 billion kM without emissions from tailpipe.
Several logistics companies, such as PepsiCo and UPS have announced the electrification of their fleet which consists of heavy as well as light duty commercial vehicles in order to minimise the operating costs. As the fuel costs are increasing, the logistics companies cover long distances using these conventional vehicles, with the use of electric vehicles these costs can be minimised.
The company DHL incorporated its first fleet of delivery by electric vans in the year 2020, with deploying 9 Lightning Electric Ford Transit 350HD electric vans to be used in the US. The company has now announced plans to deploy 89 of these electric vans by the end of the year 2021 in the state of California and New York. The company Amazon has also announced to incorporate electric vans in its delivery fleet which will be built by the company Rivian by the end of the year 2021.
The market will mainly be based on buses and light commercial vehicles over trucks and other special purpose vehicles. Buses for public transport fleet and LCVs for fleet utility will be the drivers
Buses utilised for public transport can recoup the running costs over 4-5 years though the initial investment will be 2-2.5x of that of an ICE bus. For LCVs the initial investment will be 1.5x that of a LCV van and will be easier to recoup the costs.
Decreased running costs and easier maintenance will be the drivers for this market. Lifetime of a bus is ~10 years, and overall profits generated will be higher compared to an ICE bus and van.
Charging time , infrastructure and range anxiety along with initial investments are the hindrances from increased adoption of this vehicle type. Decreasing battery prices will enable it to be competitive with ICE while developing charging infrastructure, new methodologies for fast charging and increasing chargers are functioning methods to decrease the hindrances.
The next iteration of the Fuso eCanter, Japan’s first series-produced all-electric light-duty vehicle, has been unveiled by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks. Vehicles were deployed in Japan, Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand by the firm.
According to MFTBC, the new version will include more improvements in terms of range and safety features, as well as a wider range of modifications to fulfil a variety of transportation demands. The new eCanter, according to the Japanese manufacturer, has been put through its paces in both hot and cold regions, both at home and abroad. All new models for the Japanese market will be “electrified,” according to MFTBC’s long-term strategy.
At a reveal event at the first-ever Xos Fleet Week, Xos, Inc., a top provider of fleet services, debuted two new commercial electric cars as well as its connected vehicle ecosystem. A Class 8 heavy-duty electric tractor with a range of up to 230 miles, the Xos HDXT is intended for regional-haul companies.
270 miles may be covered by the Class 6 or 7 medium-duty electric Xos MDXT on a single charge. With the addition of these additional fleet vehicles, Xos has emerged as the market leader in battery-electric fleet solutions for business fleets.
With sturdy commercial vehicles, adaptable charging infrastructure technology, and a unified cloud management platform that enables remote tracking, monitoring, and control of fleet assets across a fleet operator’s portfolio, Xos is the only solutions provider to enable electrification from beginning to end.
The Ace EV, an electric version of the company’s well-known commercial vehicle, has been introduced by Tata Motors, the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India. The Ace EV, which has a certified range of 154 kilometres, is the first product to use Tata Motors’ EVOGEN powertrain. A 27kW (36bhp) motor with a 130 Nm peak torque powers it.
In its native market of South Korea, Kia unveiled the Niro Plus, a higher, expanded version of the first-generation Niro that would be used specifically as a taxi and ride-hailing business vehicle. Kia intends to be a global leader in electric purpose-built cars.
In addition to the Niro Plus, Kia has now unveiled plans and teasers for a line of electric vans that it thinks will eventually rule this market.
A significant turning point in the transportation sector was reached with Tesla’s introduction of its electric semi-truck, the Tesla Semi. The Tesla Semi has the potential to completely alter the way that products are moved across the nation thanks to its impressive range and acceleration capabilities.
Compared to conventional diesel-powered semi-trucks, the vehicle’s electric engine offers a number of benefits, including lower running costs, lower pollution, and better total efficiency. Walmart, Anheuser-Busch, and UPS are just a few of the large corporations that have already pre-ordered a Tesla, demonstrating the increasing interest business fleet operators are showing in electric vehicles.
The Tesla Semi has a number of cutting-edge design features in addition to its remarkable performance capabilities, such as an exterior that is sleek and aerodynamic and a driver cabin that is roomy and comfy. Advanced safety features like automated emergency braking and a collision prevention system are also included in the vehicle.
Overall, the creation of environmentally friendly transit options has advanced significantly with the introduction of the Tesla Semi. The Tesla Semi is positioned to play a significant role in assisting in the reduction of pollution and the creation of a more sustainable future for all as more businesses and governments start to prioritize the adoption of electric vehicles.
The eActros from Daimler Trucks represent a major advancement in the heavy-duty vehicle sector’s transition to sustainable transportation. Reduced greenhouse gas pollution and reliance on fossil fuels are possible with an all-electric vehicle.
To guarantee its efficacy, dependability, and efficiency, the eActros is presently undergoing rigorous testing in a number of European markets. The eActros is a short- and medium-haul vehicle with an electric range of up to 200 miles per battery. Given the hefty loads and extensive lengths that these trucks frequently travel, this range is remarkable.
The eActros has a 400 kW maximum capacity and is fueled by lithium-ion batteries. Regenerative braking technology is another aspect of it. This technology recovers energy wasted during stopping and saves it in the batteries for later use. The eActros has a 400 kW maximum capacity and is fueled by lithium-ion batteries.
Regenerative braking technology, which recovers energy wasted during deceleration and saves it in the batteries for later use, is another element of this vehicle. The device improves the car’s economy and lowers energy use. In addition, convenience and protection for the driver were top priorities when designing the eActros.
To improve road safety, the vehicle has a roomy interior with ergonomic chairs and cutting-edge driver aid technologies like lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. The eActros is a great illustration of how the heavy-duty vehicle market can change to accommodate sustainable mobility.
The demand for green energy sources and charging facilities will rise as more businesses switch to electric vehicles. It will result in fewer pollutants and a cleaner, greener future as more people choose renewable modes of transit.
One of the prominent partnerships in this space involves Amazon and Rivian, an electric vehicle startup. Amazon announced a partnership with Rivian to deploy a fleet of electric delivery vans. Under this collaboration, Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian, with the first vehicles expected to be on the road .
The partnership aims to reduce Amazon’s carbon footprint and establish Rivian as a major player in the electric commercial vehicle market. Another significant partnership in the electric commercial vehicle market involves Ford and Volkswagen.
These automotive giants entered into a strategic alliance to jointly develop electric vehicles. As part of this collaboration, Ford invested in Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle technology company, and Volkswagen made a significant investment in Ford’s self-driving unit.
The partnership aims to leverage each company’s strengths in electric and autonomous technologies to develop innovative commercial vehicles for various markets.
General Motors (GM) and BrightDrop, a subsidiary of GM, announced a strategic partnership with FedEx. This collaboration aims to develop and deploy an integrated ecosystem of electric delivery vehicles and associated services.
FedEx will be the first customer of BrightDrop’s electric EV600 vans, which provide enhanced connectivity, cargo management, and advanced safety features. The partnership seeks to transform last-mile delivery operations and drive the adoption of electric commercial vehicles in the logistics industry.
Renault and Plug Power, a leading provider of hydrogen fuel cell systems, also formed a strategic partnership .The companies plan to develop a complete hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicle offering, including vans and trucks.
By combining Renault’s expertise in commercial vehicles and Plug Power’s fuel cell technology, the partnership aims to address the long-range and heavy payload requirements of certain commercial applications, providing an alternative to battery-electric vehicles.
Furthermore, in the ride-hailing sector, Uber has been actively collaborating with various partners to promote electric mobility. Uber partnered with Arrival, an electric vehicle manufacturer, to develop a purpose-built electric vehicle for ride-hailing drivers.
The partnership aims to create an affordable and efficient electric vehicle specifically designed to meet the needs of ride-hailing services, thereby accelerating the transition to electric mobility in the transportation network industry.
In 2020, 50% of the electric bus market was held by the top 3 players in the market. From 2021-2026, there will be increasing market share for other players, and the overall share will decrease for the top players. There will also be increased manufacturing on a global scale with increasing battery packs and various regions to adopt electric buses even in regions with low plugged in vehicle sales
The top 4 players in the vans market held more than 70% of the market share in 2020. They will continue to establish their dominance and hold the market share. The main reason being their dominance in the van market even in ICE as well as better technological usage and understanding mainly keeping the needs of fleet users.
The Renault group has registered a record number of sales for vehicles during the first half of the year 2021 with a total 1.42 million vehicles registered. Out of the total vehicles, the light duty commercial vehicles are 241,820. The group also recorded a total revenue of $27.65 billion for the first half of the year 2021 which was a significant increase in comparison to the same term for the year 2020 which was $21.82 billion.
The Renault group in June 2021, entered into a strategic partnership with the company Envision AESC to support the manufacture and development of low-cost advanced technology batteries by the year 2024. It has also signed an agreement with a French company Verkor to co-produce and develop locally sourced, high performance sustainable batteries for EVs by the year 2022.
The company has selected STMicroelectronics to be the major innovator and developer of all advanced power electronic semiconductors for EVs and HEVs to be produced from the year 2026. The group has partnered with the global leader in resource management Veolia, to recycle the end-of-life cycle EV battery metals in a closed loop process.
The Daimler group has recorded the total sales of 736,400 units sold/registered during the second quarter of the year 2021, the increase from 541,800 units in the year 2020 was significant despite the shortage in the semiconductor industry. The company recorded a revenue of $51.5 billion for the Q2 of 2021 which was greater than the revenue of $35.7 billion in the year 2020. The company’s subsidiary Mercedes Benz recorded an increase in sales by 29% for the cars and vans division.
Hino Motors Co. which is a subsidiary of Toyota motor has signed a strategic agreement with REE Automotive to develop next-generation mobility solutions for commercial vehicles. They will develop a mobility service module for the delivery of goods and services in the future. The company in June 2021, also announced the launch of their new HINO Poncho Z light duty EV bus to be introduced in the Japanese market by the year 2022.
Rivian has also confirmed the development of a second factory for the production of commercial electric vehicles in the heavy to light duty range. The project is called ‘Project Tera’ which has secured a funding of $2.5 billion in the round which included Ford as well as Amazon. The PSA Group which consists of companies like Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Opel Vauxhall have recorded an increase of approximately 23% in the number of units sold for electric vans as well as light duty commercial vehicles.
BYD UK and ADL have announced an electric vehicle partnership with the National Transport Authority of Ireland for the delivery of up to 200 BYD ADL Enviro200 EV zero emission battery electric buses. They have signed an initial order of 45 buses with deliveries commencing from 2022.
The company has sold 1250 units of commercial vehicles in the month of June 2021, the new energy vehicle sales has reached to 40,116 units which has increased by 207.1% year on year. The company BYD also released the first quarter report for the year 2021, with the operating income of $6.3 billion which was a significant 108.31% increase from the Q1 of year 2020 at 3.02 billion.
