Electric vans around the corner

As the push for clean air and carbon reduction continues, more manufacturers are electrifying their light commercial vehicles. Here’s our round-up of the electric vans soon to hit showrooms

Citroen will also launch an electric version of its Relay, which will be built at a factory in Val di Sangro in Italy, with the electric conversion carried out by Citroen’s partner BD Auto.

It’ll be offered in ‘L1’ and ‘L3’ bodystyles, with the latter featuring a longer wheelbase and greater cargo-carrying capacity. Citroen says the L1 version will travel 141 miles on a charge, and the L3 will manage 169 miles (NEDC).

Peugeot e-Expert

Peugeot e-Expert

Peugeot’s electric e-Expert van will come with a choice of two different ranges and will go on sale the second half of 2020.

The e-Expert is the first Peugeot electric vehicle to offer two battery capacity options; 50 kWh and 75 kWh.

Compact and Standard body shapes are available with the 50 kWh battery, with a range of up to 143 miles (WLTP), while Standard and Long can be equipped with a 75 kWh battery to give it a range of up to 205 miles (WLTP).

Two types of on-board chargers are available: a 7.4 kW single-phase charger comes as standard and there is an optional 11 kW three-phase charger.

It can also be charged on public rapid chargers for an 80% charge in 30 minutes (50 kWh battery) or 45 minutes (75 kWh battery).

The payload volumes are the same as those of the internal combustion engines and the payloads, adapted to the 100% electric engine, up to 1275 kg.

Citroën ë-Dispatch

Citroën ë-Dispatch

The Citroën ë-Dispatch is also offered with two battery powertrains: 50 kWh battery for 143 miles of range (WLTP) and 75 kWh battery for a 205 mile range (WLTP). The batteries are mounted in the chassis, so the van’s load volume is maintained. ë-Dispatch is available in three lengths. The XS model is 4.60m and is designed for easier access to urban centres.

This length, coupled with a volume of up to 5.1m3, makes for an extremely compact van.

Charging can be done using a 7.4 kW Wallbox, which takes eight hours, or a 11kW home charger, which take five hours (for the 50kWh versions). The vehicle is also capable of super-fast charging at a public station. ë-Dispatch will arrive in UK showrooms during the second half of 2020. As the push for clean air and carbon reduction continues, a number of new electric vans are coming onto the market

Nissan e-NV200 XL Voltia van

Nissan e-NV200 XL Voltia van

Nissan is launching the e-NV200 XL Voltia van, an enlarged conversion of the electric Nissan e-NV200 van, which in the UK will be carried out by Bevan Group.

The e-NV200 XL Voltia offers a compact body and sizeable cargo capacity. With a load space of 8m3, the new model expands the standard e-NV200’s load space by 90%. This allows businesses to complete fewer trips on each delivery round, allowing them to streamline operations and save time.

Combining an elongated load bay with an expansive roof space, the 8m3 van allows drivers to load cargo easily, with standing room ensuring they remain comfortable on the job. The van has an optimised turning circle making it an ideal solution for urban roads.

The model is equipped with Nissan’s 40kWh battery and an on-board CHAdeMO charger for rapid DC charging capability.

The van has different driving modes, with ‘B’ optimising regenerative braking to recharge the battery on the move, whilst eco mode manages power output to conserve battery capacity. When used together, both technologies maximise range to help drivers go longer on each delivery.

Vauxhall Vivaro-e

Vauxhall Vivaro-e

The Vivaro-e will be Vauxhall’s first factory-built electric van, which will be available to order from June.

Built on the same line as the dieselengined Vivaro, and available to order in two lengths and two body variants, the new battery electric Vivaro-e has a range of 188 miles on the WLTP cycle.

The Vivaro-e’s payload of up to 1,226kgs is only 130kgs less than a Vivaro fitted with a diesel engine. The Vivaro-e is also the only electrified vehicle in its segment that has the ability to pull trailers (with a maximum towing capacity of 1.0 tonne).

There are two sizes of lithium-ion battery to choose from; a 75kWh unit provides up to 188 miles of range, and a 50kWh battery, with a range of up to 125 miles (WLTP).

The batteries comprise 18 and 27 modules respectively, and the system is cooled via the

cabin’s coolant circuit for optimised range and an increased lifetime. The batteries are packaged under the loading space so that they do not compromise its usage and so that the van has a lower centre of gravity. A regenerative braking system, which recovers the energy produced under braking or deceleration, further increases efficiency.

Using a 100kW DC public charging station, charging of the 50kWh battery to 80 per cent only takes 30 minutes – and 45 minutes for the 75 kWh battery.

With the VauxhallConnect e-remote control functions, customers can use their smartphones to check the battery’s state-of-charge or programme air conditioning and charging times.

Vauxhall has tailored the Vivaro-e to cater for a variety of customer needs, with a panel van and double-cab being available for commercial applications, and a passenger vehicle to follow. The panel van has payloads of up to 1,226kg, with gross vehicle weights ranging up to 3,100kg.

As most variants are about 1.90m tall, the Vivaro-e can access parking in basements or shopping centres with low roofs.

LEVC VN5

LEVC’s new electric light commercial van will be called VN5 - VN is chosen for van and ‘5’ to represent the volume of the cargo area, 5m³.

The VN5 cargo capacity easily accommodates two Euro sized pallets with a gross payload of over 800kg. It has been built with a large side-loading door (enabling a pallet to be sideloaded) and a 60/40 split door at the rear to make loading and unloading easy for the driver.

Based on the same architecture and eCity range-extender technology as LEVC’s TX electric taxi, VN5 will offer the same electric powertrain with a pure EV range of 63 miles and with a total flexible range of 301 miles. Like the TX, VN5 will feature a similar ultra-tight turning circle providing unrivalled mobility in busy city environments.

Being a range extender with the ability to drive in zero emission mode, the LEVC VN5 is designed to be a a link between out of town depots and city centres. Based on a real world 47 mile (75 km) delivery route into central London, VN5 can make approximately twice the amount of journeys and deliveries by having the flexibility to operate emission (and penalty) free in the city’s restricted ULEZ environment.

VN5 uses lightweight bonded aluminium body structure which is more resistant to corrosion and absorbs twice the crash energy of mild steel. In addition, VN5 features composite body panels which are resistant to dents.

Full production of VN5 will commence at LEVC’s state-of-the-art factory in Q4 this year with volume expected to take up 70% of the annual 20,000-unit production capacity.

Fiat Ducato Electric

Fiat Professional’s first electric vehicle is the Ducato. It will be available later this year following a pilot project to gain real world customer insights.

Ducato Electric will feature modular battery size options, with range from 136 to 223 miles (NEDC cycle) and different charging configurations. Speed is limited to 62mph to optimise energy use. Maximum power is 90 kW and maximum torque is 280 Nm. Load volumes are from 10 to 17 m3, and payload is up to 1,950 kg.

The Ducato BEV will be available to pre-order later this year.

Mercedes eVito

The Mercedes-Benz eVito is available to order now, and has already been incorporated into Travel Lodge and S & B Commercials’ fleets.

The van offers 85 (70) kW of power, 300 Nm of torque, a 92-mile average range and a six hour charging time, based on three-phase charging.

Available in two lengths, the vehicle is priced from £39,895 and eligible

Volkswagen ABT eTransporter 6.1

for the plug-in grant, giving up to a maximum of £8,000 off the price.

The L2 model offers 6.0 m3 cargo volume, 2,277 kg kerb weight, 3,200 kg GVW, and a payload of 923 kg. The L3 offers 6.6 m3 cargo volume, 2,302 kg kerb weight, 3,200 kg GVW, and a payload of 898 kg.

Volkswagen ABT eTransporter 6.1

Volkswagen ABT eTransporter 6.1

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched its first fully electric van in the UK, the ABT eTransporter 6.1.

The model offers an all-electric range of up to 82 miles with a cargo space of 6.7m3 and delivers a maximum power output of 110PS (83kW), with a 0-62mph time of just 17.4 seconds.

The compact battery is fitted underneath the load area to avoid compromising the cargo area of 6.7m3 and payload of up to 1,001kg.

The ABT eTransporter 6.1 is also fitted with regenerative braking to recover energy lost when braking.

The Combined Charging System (CCS) socket on the new ABT eTransporter 6.1 provides a flexible charging solution, combining the ability to charge via both AC and DC. This means you can use any device that has either a CCS (DC charging) or Type 2 (AC charging) plug type. A Type 2 charging cable is included with the vehicle as standard.

The new ABT eTransporter 6.1 supports up to 50kW DC charging using a CCS connector, which means the vehicle’s battery can get to 80 per cent in around 45 minutes. AC charging up to 7.2kW can also be done using a wallbox, which will charge the battery in approximately five and a half hours.

Prices of the van start from £42,060.