ON TEST: FIAT PROFESSIONAL e-DUCATO
Time to think e-Ducato Two-and-a-half years after we first saw the e-Ducato in Turin, one finally arrived at Company Car and Van for us to drive. We already knew that it offered something different – a choice of batteries and a range extender – and because of this, we were confident in awarding it our Large Electric Van of the Year Award. There’s a number of choices to make. First, battery: You can select from a 47kWh version with a city range of 146 miles, 103 miles on the combined cycle; or a 79kWh version with a city range of 230 miles, 165 on the combined cycle. Body wise, there’s 24 combinations, so choose from panel-van, chassis-cab or passenger minibus versions. Finally, dimensions and capacity. The panel van is available in three heights – H1, H2 or H3 – and body lengths – 5,413mm, 5,998mm or 6,363mm. With three wheelbase lengths too (3,450mm, 3,800mm and or 4,035mm) you end up with load volumes ranging from 10m3 to 17m3, with a maximum payload of 1,885kg for all versions. GVW goes from 3.5 – 4.25 tonnes. They all feature a single electric motor that produces 190kW or 122bhp / 280Nm of torque. Equipment There are two versions. With the MY20
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entry-level version you get a 5” touchscreen with DAB, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, a tablet holder, a USB port, heated mirrors, LED lighting in the load area and twin-leaf rear suspension. Step up to Tecnico and you’ll enjoy a 7” touchscreen, AppleCar Play and Android Auto, radio controls on the steering wheel, a driver’s seat armrest and lumbar support. Battery charging At home on a 7kWh charger, we recommend Rolec – http://www.rolecserv.com/homecharging – the 47kWh version will take seven hours to charge to full, or on an 11kW wall box just under five. The larger 79kWh battery takes eight hours to fill on an 11kWh charger, which comes fitted on board as standard. On a 50kW public charger it will take 50 minutes to recharge the 47kWh van to 80 per cent, or 90 minutes for the 79kWh battery. If you’ve been following the EV revolution, you’ll be aware that most electric vehicles come with some form of battery regeneration, usually tied to braking and eco driving. e-Ducato is no different and features e-Coasting and e-Braking regenerative systems, which feed energy into the battery when you’re slowing down. There are three driving modes: Normal, Eco and Power, all of which do exactly as you’d
expect. Eco is obviously the best at preserving the battery range, power for accelerating. Costs The entry-level version of the panel van with the 47kWh battery starts from £47,675 excluding VAT, with the plug-in van grant deducted. The larger 79kWh battery version may have the range, but it costs over £60,000, deep breaths, although this is compatible with the competition. However, operators won’t be buying their e-Ducato, rather leasing it on a monthly outlay and it’s this cost that will actually be relevant. On the road Unlike the eSprinter, the e-Ducato takes a few seconds for the battery to engage before you can set off. You need to press the foot brake while turning the ignition key with the gear lever set to N-H. Once engaged you come straight back for reverse or down and to the left for Drive. The van then moves off quietly and smoothly. To utilise the e-Braking you push the gear lever once more to the right which engages this and give you a few extra precious miles of range. Driven unladen, as our test van was, the ride is quite harsh, especially over poorly maintained
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