Italians under power
Among the large van models, there is the Fiat Ducato in an E variant.
Cologne E-commerce is booming and the streets are full of vans. That was already the case before Corona and has intensified significantly with the pandemic. But as easy as that is for the customers, the development is also dangerous. Because when the traffic in the cities increases, the air and with it the quality of life goes down.
That is why electric delivery vehicles are increasingly coming into focus and it is primarily e-commerce companies such as Amazon and delivery services, such as UPS or the Post, that penetrate Electric Avenue to at least green the last mile of the supply chain.
“Fired by larger ranges, a growing range of models and the expansion of the charging infrastructure for battery-electric cars, e-mobility is slowly gaining momentum,” says Andreas Radics from strategy consultant Berylls in Munich and sees an expansion of the spectrum: “The electrification of light commercial vehicles, the forming the backbone of urban delivery traffic seems to be the logical next step on the road to carbon neutral mobility. ”
However, the demand for these eLCVs is still rather low, Radics has determined and continues to speak of the dominance of the diesel. However, existing regulatory measures and the threat of driving bans were putting increasing pressure on the segment. “In the coming years, this will ensure an accelerated transition to electric commercial vehicles in this segment,” says the expert, expecting annual growth of 30 percent.
Fleet managers did indeed plan with electric transporters to reduce emissions from their fleets. But the reservations about electric vehicles are deep and for fleet managers the focus remains on usability and total costs over the term: “If the new eLCV generation can compete with current diesel vehicles on these points and the charging infrastructure is considered sufficient, then that can Electrification of inner-city delivery traffic will once again be significantly accelerated, ”Radics is convinced.
Nobel Stromer
Mercedes has electrified the V-Class.
Frenchman on the cable
Peugeot offers the Expert as a Stromer.
In any case, the vehicle manufacturers are already preparing for this process and are strongly expanding their range. After until recently only more or less half-baked conversions and as the only factory models Nissan eNV200 with a range of up to 275 kilometers and the Renault Kangoo ZE (214-230 km range) was available to buy, the fleet is currently expanding.
So did the three PSADaughters Citroen, Peugeot and Opel just presented their identical Transporter models Jumpy, Expert and Vivaro with an E in their name and announced several variants. The 100 kW / 136 PS strong and up to 130 km / h fast model is not only available in three lengths as a station wagon, van or panel van, but also with two battery sizes: the standard is 50 kWh for a range of 230 kilometers and at an additional cost there is 75 kWh for a 330 km radius of action.
In addition, the PSA brands are already announcing E variants in the segments above and below: Citroen also wants to bring the jumper to the charging station, and in 2021 Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Opel Drive the combo with electricity.
If you like it more elegant, you will soon get the Vito as an electric V-Class, which then becomes the EQ V and is the first luxury MPV to travel there: with a maximum of 150 kW / 204 hp up to 160 km / h, the classy space cruiser comes thanks to 100 kWh battery capacity over a range of 400 kilometers.
And just like in the “old” world, there is also a commercial version that starts as an e-Vito. As a “tourer” with passenger seating, it offers the same basic data as the EQ V, as a panel van 85 kW / 115 hp engine power, 41 kWh battery capacity and 181 km range must suffice.
Market leader VW on the other hand is not quite as wide-ranging on the charging station. The Lower Saxony experimented with an electric drive for the Bulli as early as the 1970s, but is currently relying on the partner Abt, who converted the Caddy and T6 to an electric drive. For both models there is an electric motor with up to 83 kW / 112 PS and batteries with a gross capacity of around 40 kWh, so that the Allgäuer promise a range of 159 for the Caddy and a maximum of 135 kilometers for the T6.
E-veteran
Nissan’s e-NV200 has been on the market for a long time
So far only conversions
So far, VW has had its small vans converted by Abt.
There is also an electrical offer for the larger models in the class up to 3.5 tons: building there VW the eCrafter with a range of 173 kilometers, sister company MAN has the e TGE on offer and promises a range of up to 115 kilometers, Fiat has an electric Ducato with batteries for a range of up to 360 kilometers, Iveco brings the Daily as Blue Power to a maximum of 200 emission-free kilometers and the e -Sprinter with two battery sizes and a range of up to 150 kilometers electrically to the loading ramp.
The selection of small electric vans is growing steadily and the forecasts for the segment are relatively rosy. But apart from a few exotics such as the new London Taxi, which will soon also be available as a delivery van, there have so far only been so-called conversion models.
Because no matter whether Mercedes Vito, Opel Vivaro or VW T6 – they were all designed as combustion engines and only subsequently converted to the electric drive, which has disadvantages, especially when it comes to space utilization. That will probably only change in two years’ time, when VW brings not only an electrified T7 but also the ID bus, which is then based on the modular electrification kit MEB.
E-bus
VW has announced an ID Bulli.
(Photo: vw)
In parallel, two American start-ups are following Tesla’s footsteps on the electrification of commercial traffic on the last mile. This is how Rivian plans with the money from ford and Amazon the construction of an electric pick-up and a corresponding transporter and Bollinger is aimed in the same direction – currently without prominent donors.
The example of a street scooter shows that the consistent development around the electric drive is no guarantee of success. Because although the former start-up from the area around the University of RWTH Aachen developed a dedicated electric van long before the established car manufacturers and first found a major customer with the German Post and then even a new owner, the quiet vice did not really work To run. The postmen are satisfied, but the accountants are sounding the alarm and are now pulling the ripcord: production will cease this year.
Unsuccessful pioneer
The street scooter was not a success economically.