4 New Electric Vans Just Hit The UK & European Markets

luglio 31, 2020

[...] The European Union has been getting serious about the need for automakers to clean up their fleets, and all of a sudden we’re getting a lot more vehicle models and automakers are actually trying to sell them!

That applies to light-duty vans as well as passenger cars and SUVs. [...]

Peugeot e-Expert

First of all, we’ve got the fully electric Peugeot e-Expert. You can now order the e-Expert in the UK, with a starting price of £25,053 (excluding VAT but after the Plug-in Van Grant).

The e-Expert can come as a crew van or a panel van, and it is offered in three trims based on wheelbase: Compact, Standard and Long.

There are two battery options as well (50 kWh or 70 kWh), providing the van with a range of either 148 or 211 miles (according to the WLTP testing cycle).

Up to 100 kW rapid charging is possible and for slower, more common charging, you’ve got an 11 kW Wallbox charging option.

Citroën ë-Dispatch

Secondly, we’ve got the all-ëlectric Citroën ë-Dispatch van. You can now order it in the UK. The starting price is £25,053 (excluding VAT but after the Plug-in Van Grant).

Load volume = 6.6 m3, payload max capacity = 1,262 kg. Rated range of either 148 or 211 miles (WLTP testing cycle). Perhaps you noticed something by now. Yes, the ë-Dispatch and the e-Expert are basically the same van. Aside from branding and minor differences in specs that may or may not be due to the aerodynamics and weight of the different company emblems.

Thought you already heard about Citroën’s new van? Maybe you’re confusing it with one of the other models the company launched in 2020, the Ami, C5 Aircross PHEV, ë-C4, ë-Dispatch, or ë-SpaceTourer. What did I say about heavy fines incentivizing more EV availability?

Renault ZOE Van

[...] “The All-New ZOE Van is capable of travelling up to 245 miles on a charge, and uses the same powerful 52kWh battery pack and 80kW R110 electric motor as the New ZOE supermini.” It’s a light commercial vehicle (LCV) that comes in two trims, Business and Business+. It offers one cubic meter of cargo space (1,205 mm of length in the load bay and maximum load width of 1,110 mm.) and a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty.

The ZOE Van includes a 50 kW charging option, which can give a 90 mile boost in 30 minutes. It includes 22 kW charging by default, which can fill up the battery from empty in 3 hours.

Mercedes-Benz EQV

Ending on the more expensive side of the market, a brand new electric van from Mercedes-Benz, the EQV, comes with a hefty price tag. Starting prices for the different trims are:

EQV 300 Sport — £70,665
EQV 300 Sport Premium — £72,895
EQV 300 Sport Premium Plus — £77,145

What do you get for this much money? Well, you get a 90 kWh battery with 213 miles of range (WLTP), 204 hp, 364 Nm of torque, and a 10–80% fast charge in 45 minutes. You also get the “MBUX infotainment system with EQ-specific features.”