Typically favouring the Citroen HY van for their unique conversions, Classic French Vans has recently switched to electric upon the request of Exeter Cathedral who required a converted hospitality food vehicle.
Following the Dean of Exeter Cathedral, the Very Reverend Jonathan Greener’s request for a more user-friendly and greener option, Andrew Bennett, owner of Classic French Vans, scoured the market for a viable all-electric alternative that would be convertible, affordable and most importantly, meet Exeter Cathedral’s requirements.
After being recommended to Bradshaw Electric Vehicles, a leading UK supplier of the Goupil electric road vehicle range, Andrew immediately knew he’d found the right fit. Bradshaw’s competitive price range and the fact that the G4 Goupil vehicle was French-made, high quality, all-electric and came with a long wheelbase was a significant attraction to Andrew and Classic French Vans.
Another key feature was that Bradshaw supplied a full repair and maintenance package following the sale, which was of great appeal to Reverend Greener.
Goupil’s G4 road vehicles are all expertly designed to transport people and equipment for a variety of different applications. With an operational range of 68 miles and a maximum speed of 31mph, the G4 range is equipped with an array of body types to cater to the customer’s specific requirements and feature a safe and secure cabin and both left- and right-hand drive options.
The G4’s versatility to accept bespoke bodies to suit their customer’s requirements was also key in Classic French Vans choosing the G4 vehicle – making it an ideal fit for both Classic French Vans and for Exeter Cathedral.
Its practicality and that it could be driven anywhere by anyone with a licence was yet another draw for Andrew and Classic French Vans.
The mobile café is the Cathedral’s new initiative to connect with communities across Devon. Staff and clergy at the Cathedral plan to drive the custom-built electric vehicle to parishes throughout the county in an effort to establish closer links between the Cathedral and Devon’s town and village communities. Branded ‘Ten Fifty’, a reference to the year of the foundation of Exeter Cathedral, the mobile G4 café serves ethically sourced, locally produced hot and cold drinks and light snacks. As well as travelling around Devon, the Ten Fifty mobile café serves food and beverages on the Cathedral premises. Profits from Ten Fifty will be used to help fund heritage conservation work and other projects designed to ensure the Cathedral can continue to serve the local community.
Andrew Bennett, Owner of Classic French Vans commented: “The G4 Goupil all-electric vehicle was a huge draw to Classic French Vehicles as it provided us with a sustainable and seamless solution to our own customer’s requirements.
“Upon meeting with Bradshaw, we were instantly drawn to their professionalism and understanding of the task at hand as well as of the needs of our customer. Equally, we were highly impressed with how seamlessly we were able to convert the vehicle’s body without compromising the quality or performance. “Many companies that we met with simply couldn’t provide this bespoke service or were simply too expensive. However, the G4 was the perfect vehicle at the right price.
“It was a pleasure to work with both the Dean and Bradshaw and we would certainly recommend the Goupil to customers in the future with an electric vehicle requirement.”