LEVC VN5: production version of taxi-based electric van revealed
Range-extender van promises 58 miles of electric-only running, is priced from £46,500 before government grant of up to £8,000
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has revealed the final production version of its taxi-based VN5 van.
The new van, using the same range-extender electric vehicle technology as its TX London taxi, is available to order now for deliveries at the end of 2020 from the company's factory in Ansty, Warwickshire. Priced from £46,500, it will be eligible for the van-specific UK plug-in car grant of up to £8,000.
The VN5 can manage a WLTP-certified electric-only range of up to 58 miles from a 31kWh battery, and has a load area that can swallow two Euro pallets. Claimed carrying capacity is 830kg. The taxi’s bodywork has been adapted to allow a single side-loading door and 60/40 split rear doors for loading.
Combined with the three-cylinder petrol range-extender engine, the VN5's total range will be about 290 miles, and there will be three levels of charging speed offered to buyers including 50kW rapid charging to take the battery from empty to a full charge in 30 minutes.
Three variants will be offered, with base Business coming with autonomous emergency braking, cruise control, a nine-inch touchscreen and 50kW DC rapid charging as standard - the latter meaning a full charge is possible in 30 minutes. Higher specs and options packs bring a host of advanced safety and comfort features, while LEVC will launch a range of bespoke accessories for the VN5.
*Behind the wheel of the LEVC TX taxi*
LEVC claims the VN5’s aluminium monocoque and SMC construction makes it built to last “twice as long” as competitors, thanks to corrosion and dent resistance and high crash energy absorption. A five year, 150,000 mile warranty is standard, with a battery warranty of eight years and the option to extend both warranties further.
LEVC says the market for such a van is likely to increase noticeably; London’s Metropolitan Police & Fire Service have already committed to being fleet zero-emissions-capable by 2025. The Coventry-based firm also says it expects 40% of vans will be ‘new energy’ by 2030, rising to 100% by 2040.
It adds that the VN5 van is intended for companies that cover around 100 miles per day in cities and is designed to allow goods to be picked up at an out-of-town depot and transported into the city, where the van will operate largely in zero-emissions mode.
The implication is the VN5 will be, from a business perspective, superior to pure-electric delivery vans, which have a more limited range and potentially require more downtime for charging.
LEVC CEO Jörg Hofmann said last year: "Due to the rapid rise in internet shopping – the 'Amazonisation' of retail - every day there are 65,000 unique LCV journeys into London. London’s ULEZ is a blueprint, and all major UK cities will introduce a clean air zone by 2020. There's huge demand for a medium-sized zero-emissions-capable light van, and the solution we offer will be more than capable of meeting the requirements of a rapidly evolving green logistics market."
Because the VN5 is based on the TX, which incorporates a number of Volvo components and sub-systems, LEVC says it will feature "the latest active safety systems and crash standards" and that it has a passenger area "benchmarked against premium MPVs". One real-world advantage for the VN5 will be its ultra-tight 10.1m turning circle.
When production is in full swing, LEVC expects to sell around 10,000 vans each year and will be looking to export to European cities. LEVC - which is owned by Chinese giant Geely - says that it will also be introducing a "full range" of electrified commercial vehicles from 2020 onwards.
Autocar understands that Geely is now working on a line-up of more cost-effective commercial vehicles aimed at regional cities, a number of which are expected to introduce London-style low emission zones over the next few years. Joerg Hofmann told Autocar that LEVC was looking a ‘potential future portfolio’ of new vehicles via owner Geely.
*First drive: LEVC TX taxi on the streets of London*
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