and ventilation system and the air- conditioning are controlled by chunky, user-friendly knobs mounted just below the screen; makes life a lot easier if all you want to do is turn the temperature in the cabin up a notch and don’t want to spend time prodding a screen. Tekna+ comes with keyless entry and ignition and an electronic parking brake. Also included in the deal are front, rear and side parking sensors and front and rear-facing safety cameras, with a birds- eye view that shows how close you are to a potential obstacle. You can alter the bird’s-eye setting to allow you to see exactly what is happening in the van’s nearside blind- spot; a valuable safety aid. Other features include a driver’s


airbag, electric windows, heated and power-operated exterior mirrors that fold in electrically and a smartphone holder. An instrument panel display tells you how much charge is left in the battery and the range you have available. The heated leather-trimmed steering wheel is height-adjustable, as is the driver’s seat.


In-cab storage facilities are plentiful. They include a capacious lidded box


between the front seats along with a pair of big cup-holders, shelves above the windscreen, bins in the doors, a roomy glovebox and a lidded compartment above the instrument panel that contains a pair of USB sockets and a 12v power point. You will find another 12v point in a tray at the bottom of the dashboard. Tekna+ comes with all the usual safety systems found on a modern van in a package which includes ProPilot. Designed to be of help if you are travelling down a stretch of motorway or dual carriageway, it includes intelligent adaptive cruise control that should keep you a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Featured too are lane departure


warning and lane keeping assist. They are designed to prevent you from lazily drifting out of the lane you are supposed to be in, and potentially into the path of another vehicle.


@whatvan November 2023 WhatVan? 27


Rivals


Maxus eDeliver 3


■ Price range (ex VAT)


■ Load volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor


from £34,000** 4.8m3


865-905kg 90kW (122hp)


Verdict: Larger than Townstar EV, eDeliver 3 is marketed as a chassis cab as well as in panel van guise.. Maxus gets full marks for offering customers the choice of two different battery packs. We’ve no reason to suppose that the 200-mile- plus range predictions made by the manufacturer are inaccurate, and eDeliver 3 is certainly worth investigating if you need more space and payload capacity than Townstar EV offers.


Peugeot e-Partner


■ Price range (ex VAT)


■ Load volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor


£32,385–34,840** 3.3-3.8m3


751-803kg 100kW (134hp)


Verdict: It remains a sensible choice, with a decent payload capacity. Don’t forget that the same model is marketed by Citroën as the e-Berlingo, by Fiat Professional as the E-Doblo,and by Vauxhall as the Combo-e. All four have just undergone a revamp as part of owner Stellantis’s Pro One light commercial strategy, with longer ranges promised. Remember that the same model is offered by Toyota as the Proace City Electric, and Toyota’s warranty package is especially impressive.


Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo


■ Price range (ex VAT)


■ GLoad volume ■ Gross payload ■ Electric motor


£39,625–43,875** 3.9m3


592-607kg 150kW (201hp)


Verdict: Precious few vans can be said to be unique in styling terms, but this one certainly is. It boasts plenty of power and a claimed range of over 250 miles, but the front- end price is eye-wateringly steep and payload capacity is disappointingly modest. Plenty of emphasis is placed on safety though, which we can only welcome. Shame VW has no plans to introduce a long-wheelbase variant.


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