Modec is a private company, founded by the deputy chairman of the British Lung Foundation. They are committed to delivering zero-emission vehicles to replace the gas-guzzling cars of today. Now, they have started the production of an electric commercial vehicle that can successfully replace the classic diesels. The start won’t be as fast though, as only 500 are expected to be built this year.

The Modec vehicle is available as a bare chassis cab, a flat bed or a box van. Its range is of 100 miles at its top speed of 50 mph. The hefty 300NM of torque should ensure good acceleration and quite heavy payloads (2 tons to be precise). It has a very small turning circle (10 metres), and the regenerative braking technology should offer an even longer battery life, especially in busy cities, where it’s bound to operate.

The advantages are many: not only will the companies using it avoid taxes and congestion charges, but they won’t have to pay a lot for the vehicle and for its maintenance. Depending on the model, the prices will start at £25,000 (~$50K), which is not at all expensive when considering the small operating costs and the lack of taxes.

We all know that all kinds of vans make for a considerable percentage of city traffic, and this means a lot of emissions. If companies will adopt this vehicle, they will be greatly reduced and we will all have far cleaner cities. Also, the noise pollution will be much less.

The first order has been placed by Tesco, who have ordered 15 delivery vans. Let’s all hope that more and more companies will choose to replace their diesels with these practical and clean vehicles.

Full specs, via Gizmag.