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

As electric vans become more common it will soon become apparent that not all EVs are made equal. While we’re all familiar with the parlance of the combustion engine – horsepower, engine size, torque – the language and details of an electric light commercial are still new to many. 

Power is kW, which can be translated to hp, while torque is still measured in Nm, but then there are measures specific to the electric power trains. From kWh battery sizes to charging options measured in kW it is a whole new way of looking at the requirements of a van. Thankfully, the really important parts – the practical elements – of these new eLCVs are almost unchanged and so too is the terminology. 

You will know that batteries and motors add weight, but removing engines and transmissions mean that due to improvements in battery technology there is now little difference in weight with internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents. 

With a new age of dual-purpose vans coming to market, many have been created as ICE vehicles and adapted for electric powertrain options. The resulting benefits are often outweighed by some more obvious shortcomings of these bastardised vans. 

Fortunately, the Vauxhall Vivaro-e has been designed from the off with both ICE and EV in mind. That’s not to say it is perfect in its architecture, but it starts the fight with two free hands as opposed to having one tied behind its back. 

Based heavily on the Vauxhall Corsa-e, the small Vauxhall passenger car, the driveline fits comfortably between the chassis rails of the Vauxhall Vivaro-e. 

Power comes from a 100kW (136hp) motor producing 260Nm of torque, but more crucial is the option of two different battery sizes that allow up to 205 miles of range. A 50kWh option made up of 18 modules consisting of 216 individual cells has a claimed range of 143 miles according to the WLTP testing cycle for electric vehicles. The larger 75kWh pack will enable the Vivaro-e to cover 205 miles and has 324 cells split over 27 modules. Importantly, though, it gives the Vivaro-e much more flexibility and should help it appeal to a wider audience. Cooling for the batteries comes via the van’s own in-cab cooling system, which Vauxhall says helps to increase their range and lifetime. 

Being an electric van where the full amount of torque is available from just 300rpm all the way until 3,672rpm, it’s exceptionally quick. Unladen, the Vivaro-e flies off the line, and we have no doubt it would still prove fast even with a full payload on board. While limited to 81mph to preserve the range, like a 0-60mph time, it’s not a figure you’ll necessarily need or care about for your van, but it’s nice to know the Vivaro-e can move along at a decent speed. 

With a sensible range, and decent performance, there must be some other catch. It is an EV after all – you’d expect there to be some compromises.

Available with two body lengths and two roof heights the Vivaro-e is just as flexible as a diesel van with a load volume of up to 6.6m³. Because the batteries are between the chassis rails, the total capacity of the loadspace is completely unchanged, allowing 4,959mm lengths in the L1 model and up to 5,309mm in the L2 when using the load-through bulkhead. Otherwise, the standard maximum length capacity of the van is 1,512mm for the L1 and 2,862mm for the L2. 

Payloads are equally impressive, as replacing the engine and transmission with batteries and a motor doesn’t significantly harm it’s capacities. All Vivaro-e vans have a gross vehicle weight of 3.1t, and depending on spec you can get a maximum 1,226kg payload out of a L1H1 panel van with the 50kWh battery. Specifying the larger 75kWh unit brings that figure down to 1,000kg. Those figures are just 130kg less than a diesel-engined Vivaro, a far cry from the disadvantage that battery electric vehicles used to have when compared to combustion-engine vans.

A final string to the Vivaro-e’s already impressive bow is that it is also (currently) the only electric vehicle of this size that can pull a trailer of up to 1.0t.

Pascal Martens, Opel/Vauxhall director of light commercial vehicles, said ahead of our drive in the Vivaro-e that the company has “developed an electric vehicle that keeps the functionality and flexibility of our well-known vans”, and he’s not wrong. British Gas, which has long been an advocate of electric vehicles having taken numerous large fleet orders for EVs, most notably Nissan eNV200s, has already committed to putting 1,000 Vivaro-e vans on fleet by the end of next year.

Orders have been open since June and the first deliveries are expected next month, when customers can all use the Vauxhall Connect e-remote control. This allows users to control certain functions on the light commercial from their smartphones as well as see battery status levels, charging times, and be able to pre-programme the air-conditioning.

There is, of course, the cost to consider, as the electric van is a great deal more expensive. It’s nearest entry-level equivalent is a Vivaro L1 Dynamic 3100 120hp with a base price (ex VAT) of £24,310, which compares to the Vivaro-e L1 Dynamic at £34,390. 

Our test van is a Dynamic with upgraded battery pack, and first impressions are very good. The Vivaro, since being updated after the takeover from PSA, has improved dramatically, adopting the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert platform. It looks modern, and feels grown up and sophisticated on the inside, even in this, the lower trim level of two (the other is Elite). It is though, the driving and performance of the Vivaro-e that will be of more interest. Drive selection for forward and reverse are made through a nicely designed and substantial-feeling rocker switch on the lower centre of the dash where the gearstick would normally be. Above and below are two buttons for Park and B mode, which activates a higher level of regenerative braking. To the left is a Drive Mode selector – again on a rocker switch, which cycles between Normal, Power and Eco modes. Normal gives you 80% power and torque, while Power permits the full allocation. Eco mode limits power to 60% and torque to 70%, which is enough to really hold back on the surge and urgency you get from burying the accelerator pedal. The Vivaro-e is quick to respond and quick to get moving too. In Normal mode it feels fast, but in Power mode you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a van with a lot more power than 136hp.