What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

Sales of medium and large vans weighing between 2.5t and 3.5t powered the October new LCV market to a record high of 28,753 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The SMMT attributed the strong market to operators gearing up their delivery fleets ahead of the Christmas period, as well as to pent-up demand from the first UK lockdown and growth in the construction sector.

The 2.5t-3.5t segment saw a 26.8% increase in registrations year-on-year, with 20,492 vehicles sold, accounting for almost 70% of the total October market.

A trio of medium vans took up places in the top-five sellers’ list. The Ford Transit Custom occupied its usual top spot (on 3,773 units), followed by the Vauxhall Vivaro (1,923) and the Volkswagen Transporter (1,899).

Volkswagen has finally entered the electric van market with the launch of its e-Transporter, built in collaboration with specialist convertor ABT e-Line, following its decisions to shelve electric introductions of the Caddy compact van and Crafter large van in the UK.

As an aftermarket conversion, the e-Transporter is far more like its ICE (internal combustion engine) stablemates than other electric medium vans. The cabin is pretty much identical – the fuel gauge shows the level of battery charge rather than how much diesel or petrol there is left, and there is no button to boost electric charge through regenerative braking, which means the driving characteristics of the e-Transporter are more like a conventional van than other plug-in models. 

Although Volkswagen says the load volume capacity is uncompromised compared to ICE vans, the e-Transporter’s range of 82 miles falls short of rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz eVito, with a claimed 92 miles, or the PSA trio, the Peugeot e-Expert, Citroen e-Dispatch and Vauxhall Vivaro-e, which can cover up to 211 miles, according to PSA.

The e-Transporter can be rapid-charged to 80% of capacity in 45 minutes and power comes from a 110hp (83kW) electric motor. The e-Transporter still uses Volkswagen’s DSG dual-clutch gearbox in contrast to most electric vans, which have a single-speed transmission.

Peugeot’s aforementioned e-Expert is currently in demand with fleet operators, and the manufacturer is to supply 250 to Northgate Vehicle Hire. They will be supplied by Simon Bailes Peugeot, and have been chosen to help Northgate increase the number of electric vehicles on its fleet. The e-Experts will be available for customers to rent next year.

Northgate fleet director Tim Bailey says: “By agreeing this initial deal with Peugeot for 250 new e-Experts, we can ensure that customers who want to use fit-for-purpose EVs in their fleets can do so quickly and with minimal impact on cash flow.”