On a recharge

Iveco has become known for its successful CNG and LNG trucks, but electric versions of the Daily van have struggled to gain acceptance. With a zero-emissions revolution underway in light commercial vehicles, is the moment is right for a brand new eDaily?

In terms of appearance

little has changed from the diesel van, the exception being that the location of the charging points in the front grille, but there is a new redesigned Iveco badge for the eDaily with an E that mimics the appearance of an electric plug.

The real changes are in the chemistry of the lithium-ion phosphate batteries that are also bigger than previous eDaily’s and matched to a much more powerful motor. There are also driving modes, and a power boost function. It’s a significant step forward and the range covers a large variety of gross vehicle weights and vehicle types.

Panel vans have a load volume of up to 20m3 and there are additionally crew-cab, chassis-cab, and minibus body variants as well as single-wheel and twinwheel versions. In what Iveco promises is the most complete range of any large electric van currently on the market, the Iveco eDaily gets a full range of height and wheelbase options. Payloads are up to 4.6-tonnes, and it gets a 3.5-tonne towing capability. On top of that, there are also alternative rear axle ratios on the 50C and 72C versions – something no other manufacturer is offering – and the Air-Pro pneumatic suspension that was introduced this year on diesel variants is also an option.

A 140kW motor producing 400Nm of peak torque standard. There are, however, three battery options which are supplied in 37kWh modules: but if you specify just one battery, peak motor output is reduced to 100kW and 300Nm. Regular 3.5-tonne vans get the option of one or two batteries with either 37kWh or 74kWh batteries. The heavier 4.25-tonne GVW vans have the option of a third battery pack and therefore have 37kWh, 74kWh or 111kWh capacity. The very biggest 5.2-tonne and 7.2-tonne variants only get the two or three battery module options.

Each time you add a battery you’re adding more weight to the eDaily so there’s no hard and fast rule about how far each 37kWh battery module will take you. The 3.5-tonne Iveco eDaily with a single battery has a claimed range of 120km (75 miles) while adding a second doesn’t quite double the range to 235km (146 miles).

At the other end of the scale, the 7.2-tonne van has a range of 120km (75 miles) for the two-battery option and 180km (112 miles) for the three-battery van.

Fast charging of up to 80kW is possible which is enough to add up to 62 miles (100km) of range in 30 minutes. Iveco has also introduced a connected system allowing the remote control of charging operations and pre-conditioning of the vehicle temperature when connected to the charging socket. There’s a range of ePTOs of up to 15kW - enough to power fridge units, cranes or other items.

The eDaily gets three different driving modes and three levels of regenerative braking. To change driving modes you use a rocker switch to the side of the gear lever to choose between Eco, Natural and Power settings. Eco prioritises range saving by giving you 80% of the continuous power available and prevents you entering the Hi-Power mode. Natural gives you the normal amount of power, all 90kW of the motor’s continuous power, but limits how keenly it wants to engage the Hi-Power function. It pauses at full power before boosting into the extra capacity to give you 140kW. The Power setting allows the motor to seamlessly accelerate, calling upon all

140kW and 400Nm of torque for up to the two minutes of maximum peak power. It’s a good system that works well at maintaining range and providing the right amount of power.

Regenerative braking is controlled using the gear shift selector and simply requires you to push the lever to the side where there are three modes - Sailing, Standard Regenerative and One-Pedal Drive. Sailing is like any standard coasting mode in an electric vehicle and nearly stops regenerative braking completely. Standard mode is designed to mimic the engine braking of a diesel engine, so there’s a good deal of braking and energy recovery. One Pedal Drive mode is where regenerative braking is increased to the maximum. With a bit of forward planning, you can simply take your foot off the accelerator and have the electric van slow without the need to touch the brake pedal. It’s an effective system and combined with the three driving modes gives you a good amount of flexibility and personalisation to suit your driving style.

On the inside, the eDaily is much like the standard diesel van but there are a few differences. The information cluster has changed to give you much more data about the electric driveline including range and the various modes of the electric van. It’s quite a lot to take in, and the console is a bit too cluttered for the uninitiated, but once accustomed to it you can clearly see which mode you are in for the regenerative braking and there’s simple PWR or ECO lettering for when you change the driving mode.

Like the diesel van, the eDaily gets the Iveco Driver Pal – Iveco’s version of an Amazon Alexa – that is mounted below the rear-view mirror. There’s a touchscreen capable of smartphone mirroring with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which also gives you uptime management features and energy consumption data as well as navigation and range forecasting.

The cabin itself is large and spacious with excellent visibility all around. The seats are comfortable and because of Iveco’s heavy truck background there’s always the option of an air-suspended driver’s seat which improves the already decent ride comfort.

It finally seems like Iveco has the right product on the market at the right time, with the eDaily a genuine rival to the Ford E-Transit but with the added benefit of higher GVW variants. Charging capabilities could do with being faster as even 80kW will still mean a considerable wait for the largest battery size, but the eDaily could be a dark horse for van operators wanting to go electric.