The Peugeot e-Boxer is a large electric van that offers a range of 139 miles and a variety of body sizes. It’s a well-designed panel van that is suitable for multi-drops, and it shares the same platform as the Vauxhall Movano-e and the Citroen e-Relay.
The new Maxus e Deliver 3 is an impressive electric van that offers a driving range of 200 miles. For those who may not be aware, this is the rebadged LDV EV30 and it is a rival to the likes of the Nissan eNV200 and the Renault Kangoo ZE. There are two wheelbase versions, two battery capacities and because it has been designed from the start as a compact electric van, which makes the Maxus e Deliver 3 a nice EV to drive.
While there’s a lot to like – and not like (for example, the price tag) – the Volkswagen ABT eTransporter really should be an all-round brilliant van. It does most things really well but other medium-sized electric vans offer more range and more equipment. If your business uses Transporters, then the eTransporter will meet your needs. If you can wait, Volkswagen is set to unveil a more impressive electric Transporter in 2022 to meet tightening environmental regulations in cities and countries.
There’s a lot to like about the Mercedes eVito electric van, which is the first EV made by the manufacturer. It’s a quiet and refined offering with a decent payload – though the claimed range of 92 miles means driving needs to be judicious or you need to incorporate a rapid charging facility at some point in your working day.
The Fiat e-Ducato is the firm’s first foray into electric van manufacturing, and they have done a decent job. Considering how competitive the segment is becoming, there’s a lot to recommend the e-Ducato with a driving range of either 113 or 230 miles. Perhaps the strongest consideration is the best-in-class payload the e-Ducato offers at 1,885 kg.
It’s already won the prestigious Van of the Year 2019 award (along with its stablemates the Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo) so is the all-new Vauxhall combo worth the coveted title? The short answer is ‘Yes’ and the influence from the new Peugeot ownership makes this an impressive new offering compared to its predecessor. The Combo scored more points from the judges than the Mercedes Sprinter, which was in second place and is an excellent offering. If you’re in the market for light commercial vehicle then the Vauxhall Combo should be on your shortlist.
The new third generation of the Mercedes Sprinter has been hailed by the van maker as a ‘game changer’, and, for once, this might not be marketing talk! That’s because the new van has been completely re-engineered and improved. The engineers have had to sit down and think about what users are actually looking for and the end result is an impressive van that is designed to deliver. It’s nice to drive and it’s a good performer around town with a comfortable cabin. It’s also the first production vehicle to have a nine speed automatic gearbox which should help boost efficiencies. An all-electric Mercedes e-Sprinter is set to go into production in 2019 and until the new diesel engine van has improved fuel economy of around 45 mpg.
There’s also a new naming convention to appreciate so the Sprinter vans are no longer called the ‘Short’ to ‘Extra-Long’ and instead will be referred to as L1 to L4. The vehicle height will follow and these are H1 to H3. There’s also an impressive option list that features more than 600 items including suspension and fleet solutions so it can be adapted to personal requirements.
The 2018 model year for the VW Caddy sees equipment levels boosted across every trim and the van is also the safest in its class. In a bid to boost sales, the petrol engine Caddys have had their prices reduced but overall Volkswagen has played it safe with its small van offering. However, for those potential van owners who are attracted by its safety features, the new caddy has autonomous emergency braking now fitted as standard and there’s also driver alert across the range as well.
Slowly but surely all-electric vans are taking off in the UK and while the Citroen Berlingo Electric is a great example – it’s not quite good enough. Most of the issue is down to its claimed range of 106 miles which is probably much less in real world circumstances. However, there’s no doubting that the running costs of less than £2 per 40 miles will be hugely attractive to some firms. That’s the average van’s running costs DIVIDED BY FIVE! The Berlingo Electric also has low maintenance costs so there’s a lot to recommend it – and it’s a great van to drive around town – but only those who can live with a vehicle with a short range will get to enjoy the benefits.