The What Van? Road Test: Nissan Townstar EV (2022)

Date: Monday, November 27, 2023

Rear 3:4 Copy

Operating

The Townstar EV is protected by a five-year/100,000-mile warranty with roadside assistance provided for the duration. The battery is covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty which reacts if its charging capacity drops below 70%.

If that happens then the battery is either repaired or replaced, as appropriate.

Service intervals are set at two years/24,000 miles.

The use of long-lasting LEDs in the front fog lights, headlights, daytime running, side indicator and load area lights should help keep maintenance costs down. However the absence of side rubbing strips on the exterior of the van could result in it collecting rather too many scrapes and minor dents.

No spare wheel is provided, alas, in another bid to save weight. You get an inflator/sealer instead; not a lot of help if your tyre suffers really serious damage courtesy of one of the UK’s innumerable deep potholes.

Nissan Townstar EV L1 Tekna +

Price (ex VAT) £37,345**

Price range (ex VAT) £32,445–38,545**

Gross payload 500kg

Load length 1810mm

Load width (min/max) 1,248mm/1,570mm

Load bay height 1,215mm

Load volume 3.3m³

Loading height 634mm

Rear door aperture 1,256mm x 1,115mm

Side door aperture 615mm x 1,060mm

Gross vehicle weight 2,220kg

Braked/unbraked trailer towing weight 750kg/1,500kg

Residual value 28.4%

Cost per mile 60.5p

Engine size/power (electric motor) 90kW (122hp)

Torque 245Nm

Gearbox 1sp

Range (WLTP combined) 176mls

Battery 45kWh

Warranty 5yrs/100,000mls (battery 8yrs/100,000mls)

Service intervals 2yrs/24,000mls

Insurance group TBA

Price as tested £37,345

* After 48 months/20,000mls p.a – source – KWIKcarcost

** Basic price before VAT, On The Road costs, and government Plug-in Van Grant

Maxus eDeliver 3

Price range (ex VAT) from £34,000**

Load volume 4.8m³

Gross payload 865-905kg

Electric motor 90kW (122hp)

Verdict: Larger than the Townstar EV, the 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 the eDeliver 3 is certainly worth investigating if you need more space and payload capacity than the Townstar EV offers.

Peugeot e-Partner

Price range (ex VAT) £32,385–34,840**

Load volume 3.3-3.8m³

Gross payload 751-803kg

Electric motor 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) £39,625–43,875**

Load volume 3.9m³

Gross payload 592-607kg

Electric motor 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.

The Final Verdict

Design 8/10 – Carefully crafted to appeal to businesses in need of a zero-emission urban/suburban runabout

Cabin 8/10 – A comfortable, well-specified, working environment

Ride 8/10 – Smoother than we expected no matter whether we were laden or unladen

Refinement 7/10 – Absence of an engine means that other sources of noise become more intrusive.

Load area 7/10 – Good access from three sides, but loses out so far as payload is concerned

Handling/performance 7/10 – Latter is to a high standard, former could be improved by making the steering more responsive

Engine/transmission 7/10 – Battery can be charged up rapidly, but as usual the range falls just as soon as the outside temperature drops

Standard equipment 8/10 – Lots of useful kit is included in the deal, with an admirable stress on safety

Operating costs 8/10 – A comprehensive warranty should help keep expenditure down

What Van? subjective rating 8/10 – A well-thought-out package that includes some intelligent ideas

Overall Rating = 76/100

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