Farizon aims for "hearts and minds" of van drivers with long-range SV

Highlights include the standard-fit payload monitoring system ("incredibly important for fleet compliance"), the air-conditioned seats, heated steering wheel, rear plug sockets and 360deg parking camera - all equipment that James says could help make the SV a talent acquisition tool for the businesses that choose to run it on their fleets.

"Business owners want to attract and retain people, and the van is an office for that person who is in it all day. Whether they're a courier or they've got a refrigerated van, or they're a service engineer - that's their workspace. 

"And for employee retention, being able to put someone in an environment where, on a hot day, you're jumping in and out of a van and you've got air-conditioned seats - that's not widespread with any other OEM."

He added this approach will strengthen the SV's appeal as a second-hand purchase, and thereby have a positive impact on residual values, which "for electric vehicles have been incredibly difficult".

Ultimately, though, James says it’s about “winning the hearts and minds of drivers” and providing fleet operators with compelling reasons to switch from ICE vans to EVs. 

“Electric vans generally have a higher list price than combustion-engined vans, which they know work," he said. "So if you're in a large multi-division fleet, you've got a profit and loss operator who will be looking at things like [the SV] and saying: 'Well, I can buy a diesel van cheaper than I can an electric van.' But they're not necessarily always looking at the whole-life cost.”

Demand for electric vans in the UK is lagging well behind the hypothetical trajectory outlined in the UK's ZEV mandate, under which LCV makers should achieve a 16% electric sales mix this year. At the midway point of the year, electric vans accounted for just 8.6% of the overall market. 

Nonetheless, James says the time is right for electric-only Farizon to launch in the UK because "a lot of the electric vans that are out there just don't quite do the job", and the ZEV mandate is "moving the topic along".

"If you talk to fleet decision-makers, they all have environmental and sustainability targets or objectives that they're committed to - and these things are in the not-too-distant future: 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030…"

Already, he said, Farizon is seeing "massive interest" from dealer partners. "Well-established commercial vehicle dealers are reaching out to us because they see a place for it in the market," he added. In addition to opening its own flagship dealership on London’s North Circular Road, Farizon has signed franchise agreements with businesses in Heathrow and Yeovil, and it plans to ramp up its footprint gradually as demand for EV vans increases.

“Our growth will move at the pace of the readiness of the UK,” James said. “Many new brands come to the market, particularly from overseas, with large ambitions of huge market share immediately. We will work and be conservative - we will move at the pace that the market does."

The company has signed its first franchise agreements with dealers in London and Somerset, and the flagship dealership in London is on a site previously run by failed used car dealer Cazoo.

James said a priority for the coming months is to expand the retail footprint beyond those three initial sites. He stopped short of giving a target number but emphasised the importance of retailers sharing Farizon's fleet-first ethos. 

"Commercial vehicle businesses have a dedication towards uptime, which is really important", he said, adding that the company's scale-up plans revolve around minimising downtime for drivers, which means speed is absolutely crucial for any service or repair work.

While Farizon scales up its retail network, it has signed an agreement with the AA to provide a mobile service and maintenance programme for SV operators, responding to any call-out within 72 hours.