Lift Shift and Store is a family run, owned and operated transport and storage company. It was founded in 2008 by brothers John and Mark O’Neill, and it’s based in Strathaven, Scotland.
Having previously won an LDV MAXUS EV80 electric van back in 2019, the company is looking to make the switch to electric vehicles on a larger scale.
We checked in to see how Lift Shift and Store is getting on.
Due to the positive experience with its first electric van, and realising how well these vans drive, the company bought a second electric van. This was a MAXUS Edeliver3.
The MAXUS Edeliver3 has a range of over 213 miles and a 50kw on board DC fast charger, which delivers a full charge in around 45 minutes.
Having realised the benefits of electric vans, both for the business and the environment, the team looked at what else the commercial electric vehicle sector had to offer.
The company then decided to see how Energy Saving Trust could assist with the purchase of its next electric van.
Lift Shift and Store used the Low Carbon Transport Business Loan through Energy Saving Trust to buy its third van.
The company found the process simple, and there were three easy steps:
They enquired about the loan by filling out a form on Energy Saving Trust’s website.
A sustainable transport coordinator then got in touch with the team at Lift Shift and Store. This was to review the company’s current vehicles and make initial comparisons between costs and the environmental impact of replacing the vehicles.
The loan has allowed Lift Shift and Store to start making the transition to electric vehicles much faster.
The company now owns three electric vans: one LDV MAXUS EV80 and two MAXUS Edeliver3 vans. It also still operates a few diesel vans and trucks.
John said: “Without the support of Energy Saving Trust and the funding, we most definitely would not have been able to purchase our third electric van.”
Lift Shift and Store has completed just over 12,000 miles in the first of its two MAXUS Edeliver3 vans. This is 3,000 miles less than the vehicle it replaced, which was a Nissan Nv200, due to the company planning routes more efficiently.
Servicing and fuel costs are down dramatically, and the company doesn’t have to pay low emission fines in towns and cities.
Electric vehicles would now be Lift Shift and Store’s first choice when choosing to purchase another vehicle.
Before winning the electric van, John said people in the company were ‘diesel heads’, and electric vans wouldn’t work for them.
The electric vans cost the company less to run while doing the same job as a diesel vehicle.
There are a lot of negative and incorrect myths about electric vehicles, but John recommends electric vans for any similar small businesses like Lift Shift and Store.
Any business thinking about making the change to electric vans should:
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After winning an LDV competition in 2019, Lift Shift and Store have been using electric vans for their business ever since and…
Last updated: 9 November 2022
