Castle Minibus was at the ISBA (Independent School Bursars Association) Show the other week and we spoke to a lot of Bursars, Financial Managers, and Facilities Managers. Without exception these were the five questions they were all asking; and our answers to them.

  1. When will we get our new minibuses?

We can’t answer this question if you have already placed an order with another company, we know of some organisations who have not received minibuses having placed their order in Oct 2021 – but the good news is new minibuses are starting to come through.

Castle is expecting some Ford Transits Trends to arrive in July-August – they should then be ready 6-8 weeks later. We do have some Maxus eDeliver9 minibuses and 15 seat Citroens available now. Please give us a call today on 01869 253744 for details and prices.

If you are looking to replace stock in the next 18 months now is the time to place your order. This will make sure you fix your 2023 price and give yourself the lead time you need to get your new vehicle.

We do have used vehicles to buy if you need an additional vehicle sooner. We recommend you get in touch with us ASAP to let us know what you are looking for, as the used vehicles we receive as often snapped up on the same day. Again, give us a call on 01869 253744 or complete our Minibus Finder form on the website.

  1. How much is an electric minibus?

To buy an electric minibus 14 or 15-seater outright will be around £75-90k depending on the size and model (plus the vat). Leasing is an option, and we have five-year leasing deals on a variety of electric models. As of June 6th 2023 we have the 9-seat (driver plus 8 passengers) available for £550.00 per month and a 14-seat (driver plus 13 passengers) Maxus eDeliver9 all-electric minibus for £999.00 per month (both +VAT). Based on a contract hire lease for 5 years on a payment profile of 3+59 and 5,000 miles per annum

*prices given are based on a contract hire lease for 5 years on a payment profile of 3+59 and 5,000 miles per annum

If you are interested to find out what we have available and current prices, please do give us a call on 01869 253744 or email enquiries@castleminibus.co.uk

 

  1. Can you get a 17-seat electric minibus?

The short answer is no. Electric minibus are heavier than their diesel counterparts because of the battery so the largest available currently is the 15 seat Ford E-Transit. We are expecting some of these vehicles to be ready for September, so if you are interested, please do give us a call to find out more, get a price and reserve your vehicle.

  1. What is the range of an electric minibus?

This depends on the few things

  1. Size of the battery
  2. The weight of the vehicle
  3. Where and how you are driving (urban, rural, motorways etc..)
  4. What electrics you’re using (heating, air conditioning etc..)

You can be relatively sure that the 14 seat Maxus eDeliver9 and 15 seat Ford E-Transit will do at least  120-150 miles in a single charge but you may find you can achieve more depending on the factors we have listed above. The Ford E-Transit will reputedly give you the biggest range. For more information on charging, how it works, how long it takes, and the range you can expect read our recent blog – Charging an electric vehicle. Everything you need to know.

  1. Can electric vehicles be driven on a standard car licence?

As mentioned earlier, electric vehicles are heavier than diesel or petrol. Where it is possible to get a 14 or 15 seat diesel that can be driven on a standard car licence, you will need D1 entitlement to drive an electric minibus over 9 seats. For those in a ULEZ area funding D1 driver training for a single driver is roughly equivalent to a year’s daily ULEZ charges, but if you need to train multiple drivers then an electric vehicle may not prove cost efficient. We still have used and new diesel vehicles available so please do get in touch.

If you are looking to replace your existing vehicles, we can purchase these, then please get in touch for more information on 01869 253744 or email enquiries@castleminibus.co.uk. Visit the Castle minibus website to see the types of used vehicles we have on offer, but with stock moving so fast it’s worth giving us a call to let us know what you are looking for.