LEVC VN5

Clever range extender elevates VN5 to a new level

Although the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has been around in one form or other since 1908, it was only after Chinese company Geely bought the London Taxi Company in 2013 that the current move to electrification began.

The company changed its name to LEVC in 2017, with the clue to its future in the name. The first model to roll off the lines under the new name was the innovative electric taxi, the TX, followed by a TX-based van, the VN5, in 2020.

What makes the VN5 different is its eCity technology. The VN5 is powered by a lithium-ion battery and features a petrol range extender to maintain the battery charge state. The battery always powers the motor and drives the vehicle. The range-extender acts as a back-up generator and is only used to trickle-charge the battery to maintain its current state of charge. When the 31kWh battery is depleted (after about 58 miles in the VN5), the 1.3-litre range extender engine kicks in and charges it back up again, providing a total range of over 300 miles. As a limited range is the number one problem for electric vans, for example the Mercedes-Benz eVito will travel 81 miles on a single charge and the Renault Master just 75 miles, LEVC believes that this clever technology, is a game changer.

The VN5 may be electric but it has to offer van customer what they want and the company has tried hard to deliver on this. With up to 5.5m3 capacity, the VN5’s hold will take two Euro-sized pallets with a gross payload of 830kg. It has been built with a large side-loading door, large enough for enabling a pallet to be side-loaded, with a 60/40 split door at the rear, making loading and unloading easier. The cabin features a fully adjustable drivers seat, an open glove box, twin drinks holders, two decent-sized door pockets and a couple of cubby’s located in the dash and central binnacle. The automatic gear stick, hand brake and starter button are located between the front seats, which means that the van is offered with either one or two front seats, with no third seat option, which is a shame.

Customers can choose from three models. Entry level Business costs from £46,500 and features an 11kW OBC, DAB, a single sliding side door, a bulkhead, floor trim and cargo cladding, four floor loops, black steel wheels and a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat. Next up is City, costing from £48,000, which further adds a heated windscreen, front and rear parking sensors, under seat storage, curtain airbags and Lane Departure Warning. Range topping Ulitima, offers the 11kWOBC, a rear view camera, SatNav, silver steel wheels and eight tie loops.

It’s well equipped but there are plenty of option packs and safety kit to add, including a Safety Pack, Drivers Pack and Comfort Pack.

LEVC are based in Ansty, just south of Coventry, where both the TX and VN5 are manufactured in a state-of-the-art electric vehicle factory. CC&V was invited down for a road-test over a two-hour driving route which encompassed motorway, dual carriageways, town centre and rural roads.

The VN5 features three driving modes – Pure EV, Smart and Save – and we were encouraged to try them all. As we discovered, Save works best when travelling on the motorway or a long dual carriageway, Pure EV is best for slower town traffic and Smart is ideal for the majority of normal driving. The VN5 also comes with two stage regenerative braking, accessed by nudging the gear lever to the right side and very useful in town, allowing drivers to bank battery power when slowing down.

On the motorway, we used the cruise control to set our speed at 70 mph and headed off towards Rugby. Unladen, the van was quite noisy but not so loud as to stop me receiving a Bluetooth hands-free phone call while on route. Connecting my iPhone to the USB was simple and for a change, the USB inputs are located further back in the centre binnacle between the front seats, so there’s no issue with dangling wires when you’ve plugged in. I found the driver’s seat comfortable and the seat adjustment excellent, although the head rest was too hard for my liking.

The large side windows and windscreen give good visibility and on the move, being familiar with the Volvo portrait touchscreen menu was an advantage, as I was able to switch between my iPhone and the DAB radio for entertainment.

Out on the country roads, the VN5 offers up decent enough handling. The weight is at the front which helps in this regards. As with the TX, the VN5 offers a class-leading 10.1m turning circle, which allows for easier urban deliveries. The fuel tank isn’t that large at 36 litres and neither is the 1.5-litre engine, but since these are designed to charge the generator and not power the engine, they’re more than up to the task. LEVC’s eCity technology, means that the VN5’s official combined fuel economy is 313mpg (WLTP), with CO2 emission of just 21g/km and it comes with a top speed of 80 mph.

After a couple of hours in the VN5 we came away impressed. Price-wise it stacks up well against the larger Renault Master and Fiat Professional Ducato pure EVs, although its cargo capacity is more in line with the smaller and similarly priced Mercedes-Benz eVito and Volkswagen ABT eTransporter and cheaper triumvirate of Citroen e-Dispatch, Peugeot e-Expert and Vauxhall Vivaro-e.

Negatives? We were disappointed that there isn’t a three-seat version on offer, and the 830kg payload and 5.5 m3 load space leaves it trailing the diesel competition for practicality. However, we are being picky because, when up against the pure-electric Nissan e-NV200, smallest Maxus eDeliver 3 and Renault Kangoo ZE, it more than keeps up. While it may not offer the payload or cubic capacity of diesel rivals, LEVC is marketing the VN5 as the perfect ‘delivery to door’ solution. But thanks to its petrol engine, which gives it a 300-mile range, it’s more than just a ‘last mile’ solution and may be the van you need to transition gently into the electric marketplace.

CC&V VERDICT

Not perfect but strikes us as offering the ideal ‘delivery to door’ solution, thanks to that petrol engine and the clever use of the battery. It puts a cat among the pigeons in this sector and will have rivals worried.

CC&V RATING:

N N N N