FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When can I get a Modec vehicle?

Standard lead times are 8-12 weeks (depending on specification and volume). The waiting list is being cleared and production is reaching full capacity. Modec production began in March 2007 and is ramping up according to plan.

For more information please contact our sales team on sales@modecZEV.com

How much does a Modec vehicle cost?

Modec sell the vehicle and lease the battery.

We operate by selling the vehicle and leasing the battery. This is because we know a lot about the latest battery technology but we don't expect our customers to be experts. By retaining ownership, Modec remain responsible for the battery. Our customers can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that in the unlikely event of a technical issue, Modec are responsible. We offer to replace the battery when necessary and ensure it is recycled correctly at the end of its life.

Battery lease costs depend on the annual mileage and the rental period. For example, a typical 4 year lease could be arranged. After 4 years the contract can simply be renewed with the same battery or a new one, depending on the performance of the battery. In addition, you can protect yourself from rising diesel prices by having a consistent monthly battery rental charge.
Please speak to our sales representatives for a quote suited to your needs.

A full 3 year warranty is issued with each vehicle and servicing costs are minimal thanks to having minimal moving parts and reduced wear and tear on the vehicle.

The overall cost of ownership (pence per mile):

Modec benefits from considerable savings relating to operating costs. Paying zero road tax, zero operator licence and, where applicable, zero congestion charge are just some of the financial incentives associated with this vehicle. Minimal servicing costs are incurred and the threat of rising fuel prices mean the Modec makes economic sense in the long run.

Total costs depend on your exact mileage and pattern of usage. Please speak to our sales team to work out an accurate cost of ownership.

The vehicle:

The range runs from bare chassis cabs, to flat beds and fully built up 12m³ box vans. This varies depending on vehicle specification. Please contact sales@modecZEV.com to obtain a quote tailored to your needs.

The battery:

Battery lease costs vary according to the mileage and lease period. A typical 4 year lease could be arranged. Additional miles can simply be paid for as a supplement to the original contract.

We teamed up with GE Capital to offer competitive financing packages. Our sales team would be happy to quote according to your company's requirements. Please email: sales@modecZEV.comfor more information.

How much does it cost to charge the battery?

Electricity costs equate to around 3-4 pence per mile. This vehicle is designed to be charged overnight and driven all day. One of the reasons for this is that electricty costs less overnight so will amount to less than £4 per charge, depending on your supplier.

For more information please contact our sales team on sales@modecZEV.com

What models are in the current range?

• Bare chassis cab
• Drop side
• Box Van

These models will also be available with an extended (crew) cab from September 2008.

How big is the box?

12m³ is the standard box van. Box dimensions can be adapted according to customer requirements. The only consideration for vehicles over a certain length would be to add running lights.

What's the GVW?

5.5 tonnes (i.e. 3.5 tonnes curbside weight + 2 tonnes payload)

How long/how wide/how high is a standard vehicle?

• 2m wide (2.25 with the mirrors)
• 6m long
• 2.6m high (cab height only, body may vary)

What battery packs are available?

Option 1: "Zebra" batteries. This pack has an average range of 100 miles. The batteries are Sodium Nickel Chloride and have a capacity of 85kWh.

Option 2: "Li-on" batteriers. The average range of this pack is 60 miles. The latest Lithium phosphate battery technology is proving popular with Modec customers.

Remember: the removable Modec battery casette enables us to upgrade any vehicle as new technology becomes available. The quick battery exchange only takes 15 minutes, which means Modec customers don't have to buy a new vehicle or suffer lengthy retro-fits every time technology improves.

The range you get from a battery pack varies with duty cycle in the opposite way to a conventional diesel vehicle, i.e. you get better mileage when the vehicles is stopping and starting as opposed to at sustained high speed.

What other variants do you plan?

We have many projects in research & development. Among these are:
- Extended cab, to seat driver + 4 passengers
- Long wheelbase and a rear extension for the chassis rails, to accommodate larger boxes and heavier payloads
- Modec Minibus, to seat 10-12 passengers
- Modec Tipper, for refuse & waste collection

We are happy to tailor vehicles to customers' needs, so if you have a particular requirement, we're happy to discuss the options.

For more information please contact our sales team on sales@modecZEV.com

How well does Modec perform?

Modec have two battery packs to choose from:

Option 1:

• Average range: 100 miles
• At 50mph
• Carrying 2 tonne payload

Option 2:

• Average range: 60 miles
• At 50mph
• Carrying 2 tonne payload

...all on a single overnight charge!

Range:

Modec range is determined by the battery pack and duty cycle. Modec offer two battery packs: one with an average range of 100 miles and other with an average range of 60 miles.

Unlike conventional diesel vehicles, mileage improves during stop-start usage with Modec. "Regenerative braking" puts energy back into the battery whenever the vehicle slows down and no energy is drawn when the vehicle is stationary.

Speed:

Modec has a software governed top speed of 50mph. Modec is designed for urban use, so the energy saved by limiting the top speed can be used to enhance the performance and range of the vehicle.

0-60mph:

The great thing about electric motors is that they deliver their peak torque at low speeds. Modec will achieve 0-30 in a respectable 11 seconds, and is governed at a maximum speed of 50mph. Our motor delivers 300Nm torque, so it has no problems at all keeping up with traffic.

Payload:

Modec will carry up to 2 tonnes.

For more information please contact our sales team on sales@modecZEV.com

When can I next see a Modec vehicle?

Thursday 31st July is the next Ride & Drive event at Horse Guards’ Parade, London

Book your Modec test drive on 31st July by emailing: christopher.pritchard@modecZEV.com
To register for the event simply fill in your name and email address here: www.greenfleet.net/capital/registration

Alternatively, Vehicles can be tested at our London dealers who have demo fleets ready to be driven (click our 'dealers tab' to find your closest Modec dealer). Interested customers are invited to contact Modec dealers to discuss the options: dealers@modecZEV.com

Or you could visit the Modec factory in Coventry. Please contact our sales team to arrange a visit: sales@modecZEV.com

Who has ordered a Modec vehicle?

Our first customer:

Tesco.com, Britain's biggest internet grocery retailer, ordered 15 vans for their home delivery network. This first batch of Modec vehicles to join the Tesco fleet were deployed at Tesco’s new environmental store in Shrewsbury.

Following the success of this pilot scheme Modec vehicles will now be deployed at Tesco stores in London. We are in talks with other leading supermarket chains who are keen to follow Tesco's lead.

Customers from other sectors:

Amey and Accord MP (both contractors for Transport for London) are using Modec vehicles for a range of highways maintenance operations.

Speedy Hire, the equipment hire specialists have nine drop side vehicles with tail lifts in service around London.

Hildon Water are now delivering zero emission water around London

Islington Borough Council was the first Local Authority to join the Modec revolution and have recently been joined by Camden Council

CenterParcs now have three Modec vehicles at sites accross the country.

Menzies Distribution have thier first Modec

UPS are delivering parcels without the pollution in London

The list goes on...

What do Modec customers get in addition to a vehicle?

Recognition. Any three year old will tell you, "there's no point in being good unless everyone knows about it".

Modec customers benefit from the "billboard value" thanks to the eye catching design. The vehicle simply shouts about thier committment to the environment and links our customers' logo to green credentials.

Amey Infrastructure and AccordMP won contracts with Transport for London (TfL) thanks to the impact Modec will make to reducing thier emissions.

Speedy Hire also won new business once they introduced Modec to their fleet. The highly visible committment to the environment proved Speedy Hire were serious about reducing their carbon footprint.

If you would like to know more please contact our marketing team on media@modecZEV.com

What sets Modec apart?

Why will you succeed where EVs have not succeeded in the past?

Our approach is different: Our priority is to build a sound commercial vehicle. Our benefit is that it happens to be environmentally friendly. Other EVs have focused on the environmental benefits and thus have not lived up to the standard expected by commercial vehicle users.

We are able to store 3-5 times more energy as a conventional electric vehicle, deliver it with an efficient drive train and recapture a portion that would otherwise be lost through regenerative braking. All of which means that we have avoided many of the performance limitations that have traditionally held back the performance of EVs.

Diesels are no longer simple and cheap. In addition they are now weighed down by all sorts of cost and complex requirements aimed at combating their harmful emissions. The regulations being imposed to protect the health of population are continuing to tighten (through Euro 2, 3, 4 and on to 5). Global warming is still a topic that could be taken more seriously, but the fact that we are at, or close to, peak oil production (the point at which the rate we pump oil out of the ground starts its remorseless decline) combined with the growth in demand for oil in India and China, means that today's rising fuel prices represent a significant upward trend - this is more than just a blip.

When you factor in the cost savings and the positive impact on your image, suddenly adopting environmentally aware business practices become a no-brainer.

Why has no-one else done this?

The start up costs and technical knowledge required to design and build such a vehicle from scratch are massive. Other companies have adapted conventionally powered vehicles but the results have shown poor performance - you need to design the vehicle around the battery pack to optimise the potential performance.

We spotted that modern battery technologies - Zebra and Li-ion - were becoming widely available and that, by harnessing this technology, we could avoid most of the limitations traditionally associated with electric vehicles.

Modec's mission is to build an exceptional commercial vehicle that happens to be environmentally friendly, not the other way round. An impressive pool of mainstream automotive engineering skill has enabled the Modec team to build a zero emission vehicle that is suitable for mainstream users. This is what sets Modec apart.

For more information please contact us on: info@modecZEV.com

Company background

Who are Modec?

Modec Limited is a new private company, founded by Jamie Borwick in 2004 to take this concept through to production. The forward-thinking ex-Chairman of Manganese Bronze was closely followed by the exceptional team of engineers who worked with him to design the iconic London Taxi.

Jamie is also Deputy Chairman of the British Lung Foundation, hence the drive to combat the damage done by diesel exhausts.

The Modec team are an exceptionally dedicated and dynamic bunch, reflecting how exciting it is to work for a company set to revolutionise the automotive industry. Our team has grown to over 90 employees and is set to rise again next year.

What did the core Modec team do before this?

Modec is a new company, boasting a team with a wealth of successful experience in mainstream automotive engineering. With skills transferred from automotive giants such as Toyota and Ford, the pool of knowledge is impressive for any company, let alone one that started two years ago.

With the support of colleagues who ooze enthusiasm for the project , Modec is a company set to go far... just like the vehicle they are producing.

Can I buy shares in Modec?

Sorry, Modec is a private company so no shares are availabe on the Stock Market.

What does your logo stand for?

It's meant to represent the world, reflecting the natural balance of ying and yang, with a hint of precision rotor blades.

The logo also bears a resemblance to the internationally recognised symbol for recycling.

Or it might just be a nice shape. You decide.

What does "Modec" mean?

It's meant to hint at modern, electric and civic.

If you would like to know more please contact us on: info@modecZEV.com

What alternatives are out there?

Isn't the future fuel cells?

Fuel cells are similar to batteries that are recharged by adding hydrogen, rather than plugging them into the mains. As such they create zero local air pollution and we're actively evaluating their potential. However, they have 3 main drawbacks, which we think will take some years to overcome:

Drawback 1: Where do you get your hydrogen from? The short answer is you have to make it. Hydrogen is a way of storing energy, not a source in itself. If you make it from electricity, you store about 60% of the energy you put in.

Drawback 2: Efficiency. When you put hydrogen into a fuel cell, only about 40% of the energy input is returned. A charged battery, however, will release virtually all of the stored energy. Added to this, the energy expelled in the process of making, storing and transporting the hydrogen fuelled energy, makes this option extremely inefficient by comparison.

Drawback 3: Cost and infrastructure. Although the cost of fuel cells is falling, when you work out the cost per mile, there's a long way to go before fuel cell vehicles could compete with battery electrics. In addition the infrastructure to store and transport the hydrogen isn't in place and it's hard and probably won't be for a good long while.

Isn’t everyone moving to hybrids?

Hybrids have a part to play in improving fuel economy compared to conventional vehicles, but they too, have 3 major drawbacks;

Drawback 1: Hybrid vehicles are as complex to service, as conventional vehicles (comprising approximately 300 moving parts). Whereas Modec, by virtue of the fact it is run on pure electric, has minimal servicing requirements (our drivetrain comprises minimal moving parts).

Drawback 2: Hybrids have both a mechanical and electric drivetrain, but all the energy they use comes from the fuel that you pump into the tank, so you're still dependent on fossil fuels to power your vehicle. It's much easier to power a pure electric vehicle like ours from zero carbon, renewable energy sources.

Drawback 3: Due to the fact you are generating power by burning petrol or diesel in your hybrid, exhaust gases are still being generated, including harmful particles and Nitrogen Oxides. A pure electric vehicle like ours, however, doesn't produce any local air pollution. Take a look - no exhaust pipe!

For more information please contact us on: info@modecZEV.com

Do Modec exist abroad?

Modec in the us:

Two Modec vehicles are currently in America on a market research mission. We are working with US-based colleagues to thoroughly understand the market and how Modec could meet the needs of LCV operators in the US. Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Modec vehicles have featured in a number of exciting US trade shows including the EVS23 in California (Please visit www.EVS23.org to find out more about this event). Modec also featured at the Work Truck show in Atlanta in February 2008 taking the award for most innovative product.

For more information please contact William Doelle who is in charge of Modec in the US: william.doelle@modecZEV.com

Modec in the Netherlands:

Our first European dealer has been appointed. Again, we were delighted with the response from those who saw the vehicle when we were in the European market research phase and sales enquiries have been increasing daily ever since.

Modec were presented at The European Road Transport Show 2007 in Amsterdam in November 2007. The display showed how the Modec box van that was recently used for a number of high profile trials in the Netherlands.

For more information please contact Michael Mica who is in charge of Modec in the Netherlands: info@modecnetherlands.com

Can I come and work for Modec?

We have a fantastic team of over 80 forward thinking individuals who make Modec happen. Modec is a truly brilliant place to work: we have an oustanding product, the vibrance of a young company and the expertise of inspirational industry experts.

If you would like to join us please send your CV and a covering letter to: careers@modecZEV.com