Fiat Professional 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.

There are two versions. With the MY20 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.

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.

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.

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

roads. It’s a result of the battery weight. But don’t panic: even £70,000 electric cars suffer from this, it’s the way of the EV. I’m guessing that laden it’s less obtrusive.

On the motorway, our 3,500kg e-Ducato was limited to a top speed of 62mph, with the larger 4,250kg version limited to 56mph. While this makes for slow progress, it does conserve the battery range for longer, which in the 47kWh version you really need to do.

Where the e-Ducato shines is in town where stop-start driving enables the clever regen to take affect. The high driving position offers a good view ahead and progress is smooth, with the electric powertrain offering enough power to keep up with traffic.

Range is good. A 25-mile motorway run saw a 70-mile range drop to 39, which isn’t too bad. A bit of urban back and forth added another 25 miles to our driving and the range fell to 9 miles, so time to plug in overnight. Winter and electric range do not go hand in hand. We’d expect a warm summer range on the 47kWh battery to be a comfortable 115 miles, while in December, it’s more like 80 miles.

Two battery choices, 24 versions, biggest payload in sector, there’s an e-Ducato for everyone.

Expensive to buy, tiring if driven only in Eco mode. Real world economy 20 per cent lower than claimed.

With an industry-leading choice of body configurations, a cabin that features the latest on-board tech and safety, plus a highly practical payload and load space, the e-Ducato is perfect for businesses of all types.

We’d opt for the more expensive 79kWh version, mainly because of its range and on-board 11kWh charger. Charging large batteries takes time and anything you can do to speed this up will work in your favour over the long run.

As far as the competition goes, the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter only offers a 90-mile range, while sister Stellantis vans the e-Relay, e-Boxer and Movano-e aren’t as flexible with range either, topping out under 150 miles. The MAXUS Deliver 9 matches the Fiat for mileage, but doesn’t offer as large a payload nor as wide a model size choice.

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