The What Van? Road Test: Toyota Proace City Electric (2021)

Date: Monday, April 11, 2022

Rear 3:4

Operating

In a clever bid to distinguish its model from what is on offer from Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall, Toyota is marketing City Electric with what it refers to as a Relax Warranty.

It can last for up to 10 years/100,000 miles so long as certain stipulated conditions are met.

The van comes with an initial three-years/60,000-mile guarantee. Owners can extend it by an additional one year/10,000 miles free of charge each time their vehicle has a scheduled service at a Toyota dealership until the Relax ceiling is reached.

The same package is now being offered with all Toyota light commercials.

City Electric’s battery is protected by a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty. Service intervals are set at two years/25,000 miles, with an inspection service at one year/12,500 miles for the first year only.

Side rubbing strips help protect the body, and in our case its metallic paint, from minor damage. Good to see a full-size spare wheel.

The van qualifies for the government’s plug-in grant, but bear in mind that those grants have recently been cut.

For large vans (2.5- to 3.5t) they have been slashed from £8,000 to £5,000. Grants for small vans grossing at below 2.5t such as the Toyota have been reduced from £3,000 to £2,500.

The prices quoted in our factfile are the basic prices, excluding VAT and any grants that may be available.

Electric light commercial vehicles are zero-rated so far as vehicle excise duty is concerned.

Toyota Proace City Electric 11kW OBC Icon L1

Price (ex VAT) £28,024

Price range (ex VAT) £27,899–£28,649

Gross payload 800kg

Load length 1,817mm

Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,527mm

Load bay height 1,200mm

Load volume 3.3m³

Loading height 548mm

Rear door aperture 1241mm x 1196mm

Side door aperture 675mm x 1072mm

Gross vehicle weight 2,410kg

Braked/unbraked trailer towing weight 750kg

Residual value 29.9%

Cost per mile 38.7p

Engine size/power 100kW (134hp) electric motor

Torque 260Nm

Gearbox 1sp

Range 168 mls (WLTP)

Battery 50kWh

Warranty 3yrs/60,000mls

Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls

Insurance group TBA

Price as tested £28,851

Options

Metallic paint £454

Load area ply lining £324

Rubber floor mats £49

Rivals

Nissan eNV200

Price (ex VAT) £26,250–£29,750

Load volume 4.2m³

Gross payload 705kg

Electric motor 80kW

Verdict: Even though it is no longer in the first flush of youth, Nissan is continuing to market the eNV200, despite the fact that its diesel stablemate has now departed. With a claimed range of up to 187 miles and a respectably-sized load area, it remains in contention.

Renault Kangoo Van E-Tech

Price (ex VAT) £26,000–£28,100

Load volume 3.0–4.0m³

Gross payload 605–625kg

Electric motor 44kW

Verdict: The data quoted here refers to the current and soon-to-be-superseded Kangoo. Its successor arrives here this summer, and will be worth the wait. Scooping the What Van? Compact Van of the Year Award for 2022, it offers plenty of cargo space, a decent payload and an upgraded interior.

Renault Zoe Van E-Tech

Price (ex VAT) £26,450–£28,575

Load volume 1.0m³

Gross payload 435–457kg

Electric motor 80kW

Verdict: We were hugely impressed by this little load lugger when we road tested it last year. OK, it has not got the biggest cargo area in the world or the most-generous payload capacity, but at up to 245 miles its claimed range is impressive, and it makes for an ideal zero-emission urban runabout.

The Final Verdict

Design 9/10 – A usable mainstream package that could truly signal the age of the electric van

Cabin 7/10 – Equipped to a high standard, but middle seat lacks leg and shoulder room

Ride 6/10 – Struggles a little on uneven highway surfaces when lightly-laden

Refinement 8/10 – Zero squeaking or creaking, and in-cab noise levels are commendably low

Load area 8/10 – Easy to access with features making it simpler to transport over-length items

Handling/performance 8/10 – Both to a high standard, though the eco mode decreases performance

Powertrain 8/10 – Usefully long range and the choice of drive modes is to be welcomed

Standard equipment 9/10 – Plenty of goodies, with even entry-level models fitted with air-conditioning.

Operating costs 9/10 – An enticing warranty package, and per-mile energy cost remains attractive

What Van? subjective rating 8/10 – A practical zero-emission package that should appeal to a wide range of users

Overall Rating = 80/100

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