Schindler Lifts Australia – designer, manufacturer and installer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways – is targeting 15% of its fleet as BEVs, and the five vans will be placed in all major capital cities, at first on a trial basis: two in Sydney, one in Melbourne, one in Brisbane and a final ID. Buzz Cargo in Perth.

The ID. Buzz Cargos are an integral part of serving Schindler Lifts Australia’s mission to transition its service fleet to low emission vehicles, as part of its silver partnership status in the New South Wales Sustainability Advantage Program.

In additional to the CO2 emissions benefits provided by the ID. Buzz Cargo, its 2-years/30,000km service intervals also means that the vehicle is more cost effective to run and has greater uptime.

Extra peace of mind comes from the 8-year, unlimited kilometre high voltage battery warranty, plus the guarantee of at least 70% battery capacity even after eight years of usage.

Volkswagen Group Australia has also committed significant resources into developing a factory-trained service network nationwide.

Emilian Wojtczuk, Supply Chain Operations Manager for Schindler Lifts Australia, said the purchase of ID. Buzz Cargos fulfills an operational need that previously was unmet.

“The biggest roadblock to receiving more EVs on our fleet has been the lack of commercial vehicles in the Australian market with sufficient range,” Mr Wojtczuk said.

“ID. Buzz Cargo will radically change our business, by offering a very good range in comparison to other commercial vehicles and low maintenance costs, as well as supporting us with our fleet emissions targets.”

Schindler Lifts Australia’s technicians may travel up to 400km per day, depending on the location and, in addition, some may need to respond to urgent calls for unexpected breakdowns.

To fully support its customers therefore, Schindler Lifts Australia requires a range of at least 400km on a fully-charged battery. As part of its fleet electrification plans, Schindler Lifts Australia also installs EV home chargers at its drivers’ premises, ensuring their vehicles can be charged overnight.

While there’s a buzz around its latest battery electric van, Volkswagen’s journey towards on this electrified pathway began over 50 years prior, with the T2 Elektro Transporter.

It featured a 21.6 kWh lead-acid battery providing about 85km of range and was even fitted with an ‘engine recovery system’, which captured some of the kinetic energy generated under braking and used it to charge the battery – the forefather of what we now know as ‘regenerative braking’.

Capable of carrying two Euro pallets, the ID. Buzz Cargo starts at $79,990 RRP* and is powered by an 84kWh battery, with a range of 431km (WLTP).

Peak power is brisk at 210kW, while the Cargo van produces a robust 550Nm of torque. With DC fast charging available up to 185kW, the ID. Buzz Cargo can also be charged from 5% to 80% in about 30 minutes.