Portable Battery Generators for Electric Vehicles and Plant

Date: 21/02/22

Electric vehicles and plant have always made sense on site. When combined with a renewable energy source, such as the Think Hire Solartainer solar hybrid generator, they can significantly reduce fuel costs while also cutting emissions such as CO₂ and N₂O. But now, with the new regulations prohibiting the use of red diesel, they are going to be more important than ever in controlling costs and cutting carbon.

New red diesel rules

From 1st April, construction sites will no longer be able to use the heavily rebated red diesel to power their on-site plant and vehicles. The switch to white diesel will increase fuel costs in two ways: firstly white diesel adds an extra 46p per litre in fuel duty, and secondly it attracts VAT at the full rate of 20%, rather than the discounted 5% on red diesel. With plant running all day, every day, the increase in costs will be substantial, and many sites are desperately searching for a cheaper alternative.

Electric plant and vehicles

Electric plant and vehicles offer just such an alternative, avoiding the rise in diesel costs. However, if these are connected to the grid, where electricity prices are rising just as fast, those savings can quickly disappear. Similarly, if you power your electric plant and vehicles using diesel generators, you are simply swapping one expensive diesel power source for another, as generators will not be able to use red diesel either.

Solar power offers significant savings

Solartainer solar hybrid generators offer dependable, affordable power for all your plant and vehicles, as well as powering site lighting, welfare units, site offices and more. By combining the free energy from the sun, with back-up power from a diesel or LPG generator, solar hybrid generators can deliver all the power you need, around the clock, at a substantially lower cost.

Portable Battery Generators - EV charging points

Think Hire offers a comprehensive range of portable battery generators to suit all kinds of sites, plant and vehicles, including sleek single phase EV charging points. Designed specifically to work with our off-grid power solutions, they can deliver the low-cost power you need, wherever and whenever you need it, even in the most remote locations. They are easy to set up and relocate as your project progresses, with no intrusive works required at any stage. What’s more, they come with smart energy monitoring as standard to put you in complete control of your energy use, driving even greater savings.

Make the switch today

If you’ve been considering a switch to electric vehicles and plant, then the new red diesel regulations make the benefits of that choice even clearer. Take a look at our case studies to see what you could save. Remember, these savings shown by our clients on real life, active sites do not include the new increased costs of using white diesel. Add in the extra duty and VAT and it has never been more cost-effective to switch to solar. Talk to our team today to see how much you could save by switching to electric vehicles and plant powered by a solar hybrid generator.

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