European market of light-duty commercial vehicles continues to grow. According to the information provided by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), almost 1.5 million of delivery vans were sold in 2023, and that’s 14.6% more than in 2022. What’s even more important, the number of e-vehicles with almost zero harmful pollution rates in this segment also grows actively. Here the sales increased by 56.8% and this expanded the market’s share of these vehicles from 5.4% to 7.4%. The most intensively developing electric van markets by 2022 are Netherlands (+110.4%), Spain (+100.3%), and France (+76.7%).
Flagman auto manufacturers today are actively working on the improvements for their electric commercial vehicles. One of the most significant task set by them is the increase of autonomous work without losing the load capacity of vehicles. Besides, they become more focused on digital services based on telematics, which can help to optimize energy consumption of delivery vans and increase cargo transportation efficiency.
Innovations by Renault
Let’s start with the Renault company, which became the progenitor of a new generation of light-duty electric delivery vans when it launched its Kangoo Electric back in 2011. Today, over 100k of these vehicles come from the conveyor, and they are flagships of the European electric vans market. The third-gen auto Kangoo E-Tech is equipped with accumulators with the capacity of 48 kW/h which power a 90 kW electric motor. The power reserve is 285 km (according to the WLPT measurement cycle). The batteries are guaranteed for 8 years or 150 thousand km.
One more fascinating feature of a new Kangoo is its optional Open Sesame sliding door, which together with the front hinged door forms a single, very wide opening, without a central pillar. This significantly simplifies the loading and unloading process.
This year, Renault is going to launch in the market a new generation of delivery van with higher load capacity, Master E-Tech. The vehicle became 27% more energy-efficient than its predecessor, and it consumes 22 kW/h per 100 km. As a result, it offers the maximum drive range in its class of 460 km (WLPT). The body aerodynamics optimization also contributed to higher energy efficiency, as its Cx coefficient was reduced by 20%. This van has a 1,625 kg load capacity, and it can operate with a trailer up to 2.5 tons weight.
The machine is equipped with batteries of various capacities of 40 or 82 kWh. Among the useful solutions, we note the V2L function for powering various third-party electrical appliances through on-board sockets, as well as the V2G bidirectional charging system, which transfers electricity from the batteries back to the network.
The Renault company also holds the palm in the development of electric vans with hydrogen fuel elements. The first deliveries to customers of Master Van H2-Tech vehicles, built as part of the HYVIA joint venture, are expected this year. The vehicles have a range of up to 350 km (WLPT). The vans are equipped with a 30 kW Fuel Cell power plant, 33 kWh batteries, a 57 kW electric motor and four cylinders for 6.4 kg of hydrogen. One of the advantages of such electric vehicles over purely battery-powered ones is the speed of charging, or rather refueling with hydrogen, which takes only about 5 minutes.
Ford’s Electrification
This summer, a new electric model E-Transit Custom by Ford is launching to the market. It is built on the base of the best van of the year, Transit Custom, which won the prestigious contest International Van of the Year 2024. The vehicle has a load capacity of 1,100 kg, and it can operate with a trailer up to 2,000 kg weight which is the best result in its segment. A battery with a capacity of 74 kW/h powers the electric motor of 100 or 160 kW and provides a driving range of up to 380 km. The Pro Power Onboard system with the power of 2.3 kW for external powering is installed. For example, you can power electric tools with it.
The Mobile Office function is one of the most challenging interior solutions. Its steering wheel can easily be transformed into a small table for working with a laptop or paper documents. From the end of the year, the Delivery Assist system, which is very useful for delivery services, will be available. It allows you to save up to 20 seconds per stop, which on average can be up to two hundred per day. The system automatically turns on the emergency lights, closes the windows and locks the doors when the courier leaves.
Volkswagen’s Breakthrough
A great breakthrough in electric mobility was made by the Volkswagen company, which launched its ID. Buzz Cargo model to the market. It is the first commercial automobile, which was initially developed to work as an e-van. It is not an occasion that it was awarded as “International Van 2023”. Its body has brilliant aerodynamics and its rounded shape reminds us of legendary T1 vans of the 50s. Although its dimensions are quite compact, ID. Buzz Cargo has a cargo compartment with a volume of 3.9 cubic meters, which can accommodate three Euro pallets. A 150 kW electric motor powers an 82 kW/h battery. The power reserve during the WLPT cycle reaches 400 km. It takes only 40 minutes to charge batteries from 5 to 80% of capacity with a direct current of 170 kW.
A New Stellantis Family
The Stellantis company, which represented the whole line of light-duty electric delivery vans last October, boosted the market in their segment. These are compact, medium-size, and full-size models of the brands like Сitroen, Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and Vauxhall. For example, medium-size Citroen Jumper, Peugeot Expert and Opel Vivarohave a load capacity of 1,4 tons and their driving range is up to 350 km. There are also hydrogen fuel element options which provide autonomous work up to 400 km. The biggest representatives of that family, Citroen Jumper, Peugeot Boxer and Fiat Ducato have a payload of 2 tons and a range of up to 420 km, which is 140 km more than their predecessors. All these new products should help Stellantis achieve its goal of increasing the share of electric vehicles in total sales to 40% by 2030.
Ambitious Plans of Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Vans divisions also have no less ambitious plans, with the intention to get 20% of the European e-van market by 2026 and increase this number up to 50% by 2030. The company plans to produce small-size, medium-size, and big-size delivery vans exceptionally on a new electric platform VAN EA. Besides an increased power reserve (up to 500 km), the vans will receive the function of autonomous control of the second level (Level 2), and by the end of the decade, of the maximum, fourth level (Level 4).
Meanwhile, sales of the new Mercedes-Benz eSprinter model, which has a driving range of up to 440 km (WLPT), have already started in January 2024. The machine is designed for a total weight of up to 4.25 tons and can work with a trailer weighing up to 2 tons. The useful volume of the cargo compartment is up to 14 cubic meters. The vehicle uses an advanced permanent magnet motor (PSM) with a peak power of 100 or 150 kW. It is powered by three battery options: 56, 81 or 113 kW/h. In the latter case, charging from 10 to 80% of the capacity with a direct current of 115 kW requires only 42 minutes.
The Highest-Load-Capacity Van by IVECO
Most recently, at the end of March, the winner of the prestigious British Fleet News Award 2024 was announced in the “Electric Van Breakthrough of the Year” category. It was the IVECO eDaily van. This model has the strongest chassis among its competitors and it is designed for a load capacity of up to 4.6 tons. In general, the line includes vehicles with a gross weight of 3.5 to 7.2 tons. They can be equipped with 1-4 battery packs, for 37 – 148 kW/h. As a result, the most load-bearing model eDaily 72С (chassis with cab) with batteries of maximum capacity can travel up to 240 km without recharging (WLPT).
Thus, the European light commercial vehicle market is showing a strong trend towards switching to zero-emission vehicles. Therefore, the number of electric vans on the roads will increase every year, and the percentage of diesel vehicles, on the contrary, will decrease.
