1,000kg – but remember that towing can rapidly reduce your range. The equivalent GS diesel can tow 2,500kg and its gross payload is more than 400kg higher.
Interior and equipment Keyless opening and starting is fitted, which means you can unlock the doors and start the engine simply by having the key fob in your pocket. Also present are an electric parking brake, cruise control, front fog lights, driver and passenger airbags, electric windows, and electrically-adjusted and heated exterior mirrors that fold inwards automatically. You use a switch on a moulding which
curves outwards from the dashboard, and steals some of the middle passenger’s leg space, to select D for Drive, R for reverse or N for Neutral. You can also opt for the B for Brake
setting. Using it recoups energy which would otherwise be wasted when the van decelerates – when it is descending a steep hill for instance – and pumps it into the battery.
An adjacent switch allows you to select from three (self-explanatory) drive
Rivals
Ford E-Transit Custom ■ Price range (ex VAT) ■ Load volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor
TBA** 5.8-9.0m3 1100kg
101kW (137hp), 162kW (220hp)
Verdict: Usually we would not highlight a van that was not available at the time of writing as a competitor to a vehicle that is already on sale. However in this case we believe it is justified given Ford Transit Custom’s soaraway success in the UK market. E-Transit Custom should hopefully be appearing in Ford dealerships about now, and with a claimed range of up to 236 miles it will bear close investigation.
■ Load volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor
Mercedes-Benz eVito ■ Price range (ex VAT)
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo
£48,260- £51,915**
6.0-6.6m3
749-807kg 85kW (116hp)
Verdict: Safety and equipment standards are high, so is build quality, we’ve no quarrels with the ride or the handling, and the latest eVito offers considerably more range than its predecessor; but at 162 miles, it could stand to be better. Payload capacity could be better too, and you cannot use eVito for towing. Eccentric parking brake needs scrapping in favour of an electric parking brake.
■ Price range (ex VAT) £39,625- £43,875**
■ Load volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor
3.9m3 650kg 152kW (207hp)
Verdict: ID. Buzz Cargo is smaller than Vivaro Electric, but certainly worth considering if you’re after a van that will turn heads in your local high street. Claimed range is a creditable 258 miles, and VW’s newcomer scores highly when it comes to performance, refinement and equipment. On the downside payload capacity is unimpressive, although towing is permitted.
modes; Eco, Normal or Power. A – by today’s standards, rather too small – 7in touchscreen sits in the centre of the fascia and controls many – though thankfully, not all – of the in-cab functions.
Conventional knobs are used to operate the heating, ventilation and climate control systems, turn the DAB radio on and off, and raise and lower its volume. The air-con is impressively effective, but of course sucks juice out of the battery.
Satellite navigation forms part of the
package, as does voice control along with Bluetooth audio streaming and a Bluetooth mobile phone portal. The dashboard plays host to a USB port and a 12V power socket and you can gain access to a variety of connected services courtesy of Vauxhall Connect. The digital instrument cluster in front of the driver shows useful data
@whatvan October 2023 WhatVan? 27
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