Payload, Space and Range: Here are the Best Electric Vans For YOUR Needs
It won’t have escaped your notice that the price of fuel is in a state of flux and the cost of living has been on the rise, so much so that it might just be the right time to consider a money-saving electric van.
Investing in an electric van is an investment into the future of your business, the combination of significantly reduced running costs and a government grant on the upfront prices presenting the opportunity to substantially change your monthly outgoings.
Better yet, not only is there an increasingly wide choice of quality electric vans on sale, the rate at which technology is evolving means compromises that perhaps have deterred you from considering one previously might have disappeared entirely.
Everyone has different business demands, however, so if you need to know which electric van can satisfy your specific requirements, allow Vansdirect to help guide you...
It might turn out to be an important money-saving exercise in the long run.
See All Latest Electric Van Deals
See All Electric Vans in Stock Right Now
Best Value Electric Van – Kia PV5 Cargo
To say the Kia PV5 Cargo has made a huge impact on the commercial vehicle industry since the manufacturer’s high-profile arrival would be an understatement – just check out the catalogue of awards it has swept up in recent months.
And for good reason too – the 71.2kWh Long Range model can cover 257-miles of range, is generously spaced for a small(ish) van with its 4.4-cubic metres load bay and is brimming with smart connected kit.
However, its strongest suit is its value-for-money with a price – despite its electric powertrain – competitive with small diesel vans. Affordable to buy, pennies to run and complete with a seven-year warranty, the PV5 Cargo makes a compelling argument to make that shift to electric.
Best Electric Van for Range – Renault Master E-Tech
If pure range is what you’re after from a van, then the Renault Master – which can travel an industry-leading 285-miles – is currently your hands-down winner.
But that’s only half of the story. While the Master’s 87kWh battery certainly isn’t the biggest in the class, Renault has paid close attention to aerodynamic efficiency to extend that mileage even further.
Better yet, because the battery is smaller, it is less of a weight implication, which in turn devotes more carrying ability to a larger payload capacity.
See Renault Master E-Tech Van Deals
Best Electric Van for Payload – Farizon SV
While many of the electric vans on sale right now have been direct conversions from existing diesel-fuelled machines, there are an increasing number of ‘from-the-ground-up’ options arriving.
What this means is they have been designed as electric from the outset, which has allowed designers to use the alternative packaging required for batteries to maximise load space and ensure generous payloads.
The new Farizon SV is an excellent example of this. Its five body sizes straddle the medium and large van classes, with payload of between 1000kg and 1350kg available.
Moreover, that packaging flexibility has afforded some handy features, including a payload monitoring system that keeps a measure of the weight you’re carrying, wider side doors and a particularly handy low loading height.
Best Electric Van for Load Space – Ford E-Transit
There are some excellent large electric vans on the market right now and while we’re big fans of the Renault Master above as an overall package, if you need outright load space, the Ford E-Transit is a top choice.
Leasing a large electric van can be a more delicate balance between load size and payload capacity to get the best from what you need but opt for the L4/H3 E-Transit, you’ll have 15.1 cubic metres of space to play with.
Better yet, you’ll still have 1745kg of payload you can use.
Best Electric Van to Minimise Downtime – Ford E-Transit Courier
If you’re in a hurry, the Ford E-Transit Courier has the potential to fast charge from 10 to 80% in the time it takes to pop to the loo, order a coffee and neck a Greggs at the petrol station.
While this example might be a touch dependent on how quickly you can snaffle a sausage roll, we reckon it’s roughly 23-minutes – which happens to be the time it takes to juice an E-Transit Courier.
Already an excellent small van with compact dimensions belying a spacious load bay, plus a well-equipped high-tech interior, the E-Transit Courier promises downtime can be only as long as refuelling yourself.
See Ford E-Transit Courier Van Deals
Best Electric Van to Really Sell Your Business – Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo
If you don’t need all the space offered by medium vans like the Volkswagen Transporter, then there is certainly some business value to be had in considering the eye-catching Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo.
While its 3.9-cubic metre load bay is more limited than other medium vans (until a Long L2 version arrives, at least), the ID.Buzz Cargo is still spacious and flexible.
However, the best bit is how it looks, the retro-infused styling making other vans look frightfully dull in comparison. If you have a business that wants to sell itself on the move, there is no other van that will turn heads onto your signage better than this.
See VW ID.Buzz Cargo Van Deals
Best Electric Van if You’re Not Quite Ready for Electric – Ford Transit Custom PHEV
It’s true that electric won’t be for everyone just yet. If you cover significant mileage or you don’t have convenient access to overnight charging, then a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) represents a worthy compromise.
One of the few vans to offer this is the Ford Transit Custom, which blends a 2.5-litre engine with a 11.8kWh battery. It offers 35-40-miles of electric only, zero emissions range, before the petrol engine kicks in to ensure a total (EV and fuel) range of beyond 300-miles.
While you won’t get the same savings down the road as an EV, the 1350kg payload is one temptation, while fuel economy improves immensely on a combined WLTP cycle.
See Ford Transit Custom PHEV Van Deals
Best Electrified Pick-Up Truck – Ford Ranger PHEV
It would be better to list our pick here as ‘TBA’ as this year will see a slew of electric pick-up trucks join the segment, including the new Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and KGM Musso EV.
That said, the Ford Ranger PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid) will still take some beating. Indeed, while not a full electric vehicle, the integration of an 11.8kWh battery gives the Ranger PHEV a modicum of electric-only ability – up to around 25-miles.
While it may not sound like much, Ford insists it’s enough to cover most daily commutes, while the flip-side is a zero compromise in terms of payload capacity – still over 1000kg – or towing ability (3500kg).
