The What Van? Road Test: Iveco eDaily

Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024

Rear 4 Copy

Operating

A three-year/100,000-mile warranty protects eDaily overall. The batteries are separately warranted to retain 80% of their original capacity for eight years/155,000 miles.

Service intervals are set at two years/31,250 miles. A 2XL three-year/100,000-mile repair and maintenance package is provided with the eDaily along with a four-year eStart connectivity pack.

The range we achieved mirrored the claimed range of 146 miles, just under half-laden on a mix of A and B-roads with some town centre work. You’ll find the charging point in the centre of the front grille.

Iveco eDaily 35S14E dropside

Price (ex VAT) £75,240*

Price range (ex VAT) £54,560 – £117,990*

Gross payload 895kg

Load length 4,165mm

Load width 2,070mm

Load bay height 406mm

Loading height 901mm

Gross vehicle weight 3,500kg

Braked trailer towing weight 3,500kg

Engine size/power 140kW (190hp) electric motor

Torque 400Nm

Gearbox 1sp

Range (WLTP) 146 miles

Battery 74kWh

Warranty 3yrs/100,000 miles (battery 8yrs/155,000 miles)

Service intervals 2yrs/31,250 miles

Insurance group TBA

Price as tested £79,650*

* Basic price before government Plug-in Van Grant

Options

Heated windscreen £340

Two-seater bench with table £180

Suspended driver’s seat £380

Driver and passenger airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioner £290

13 pole electric socket £40

Rear tow-bar £410

Battery charger; 80kW DC £90

Battery charger; 22kW AC £230

Lane Departure Warning and Proactive Lane Keeping Assist £930

Voice assistant £230

Cab A-pillar grab handles £90

Tyre pressure monitoring system £340

Bodybuilder plug £70

Advanced Electronic Braking System and City Brake £790

Rivals

Fiat Professional E-Ducato

Price range (ex VAT) £56,625 – £76,520 *

Load volume 10.0–17.0m³

Gross payload 690–1,885kg

Electric motor 90kW

Verdict: While the above specification was the one in force at the time of writing, the new E-Ducato launched at last year’s Solutrans show with a 110kWh battery and a claimed 261-mile range is on its way. Fiat Professional is part of the Stellantis Group, which also embraces Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall, with light commercials that share the same platform. The range is being rejuvenated.

Ford E-Transit

Price range (ex VAT) £48,045 – £57,235*

Load volume 9.5–15.1m³

Gross payload 790–1,758kg

Electric motor 135kW, 198kW

Verdict: A well-priced and intelligently though-out package that has helped project electric panel vans into the mainstream. Its oddball regeneration system could stand a rethink, but we can’t help but love the SYNC 4 comms and info system, and servicing costs should be low. It has its drawbacks, but on balance has to be viewed as yet another winner from the Big Blue Oval.

Mercedes-Benz eSprinter

Price range (ex VAT) £73,260 – £76,920 *

Load volume 14.0m³

Gross payload 995–1,002kg

Electric motor 100kW, 150kw

Verdict: The positive news is that the latest eSprinter has a claimed range of up to 271 miles, a big improvement on what was on offer from its predecessor. Less welcome is the news about its steep price, its modest payload capacity, and its availability solely as a 4.25t van with one choice of load cube. Hopefully, the range offered in the UK will widen.

The Final Verdict

Design 9/10 – The ability to swap out battery packs as the requirements of a business change could be a big plus for many operators

Cabin 8/10 – Comfortable working environment with plenty of storage space

Ride 5/10 – Poor on most surfaces, and adding more weight made precious little difference

Refinement 7/10 – Poor ride affects the score here, but otherwise eDaily whispers along with little squeaking or creaking

Load area 7/10 – Roomy, well-constructed and easy-to-access dropside body but payload capacity is limited. Good towing capacity though

Handling/performance 8/10 – Both are up to and indeed exceed expectations, but the more you explore the performance, the faster you drain the battery

Engine/transmission 8/10 – A well-put-together power train that should meet the requirements for most

Standard equipment 6/10 – Lots of useful kit is provided with a stress on connectivity, but too much is optional

Operating costs 6/10 – Running expenses should be competitive, but the front-end price is a concern

What Van? subjective rating 7/10 – A competent package, but the price will make prospective customers think twice

Overall Rating = 71/100

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