Improved range and drive put e-Vito back in the game

The rear load space is easily accessed as the L2 Vito we drove comes with left and right hand slide-opening side doors and twin rear doors that open 180 degrees.

It’s easy to drive and very relaxing on the motorway. The gear lever offers Neutral, Reverse or Drive options and even with the battery weight underneath the floor, the eVito handles pretty well for its weight.

As with most electric cars, the eVito offers several levels of regenerative braking, which can be adjusted using the paddles on either side of the steering wheel. D- is the strongest regenerative level, but also the most noticeable. You decrease the strength of regeneration by pulling on the right hand paddle, moving through the options of D, then D+ and D++ – best for motorway driving. There are three drive modes: E+, E or C. E+ is the most efficient, but C is the most fun.

The eVito was delivered with a full charge, and the gauge said we had a 157-mile range. We covered 30 miles at 70mph driving to Chester via the M56, using drive mode E. On arrival we charged up while we shopped.

Our journey had decreased the range from 157 miles to 118 and after an hour charging was up to 126 miles for the return leg. Thirty miles later and back home, the range now showed 98 miles.

We repeated the journey the following day and concluded that if driven unladen with just a driver, at mostly motorway speeds, the eVito has a 140-mile range. At lower speeds of up to 50mph the range increased to 157 miles, as you can really take advantage of the regenerative braking to top the battery up.

That means eVito can now match, or even surpass, Stellantis vans’ claimed WLTP battery range of 143 miles.

Pros

That much improved battery range now gives the eVito a competitive range. The cabin is hewn from granite, top quality and very comfortable. The addition of proper air-con is also an improvement. The overall build quality puts the competition to shame.

Cons

The infotainment system isn’t as good as you’ll find on some other vans. Similarly, neither is the payload.

Increase in range is a real game changer; you can expect 150-160 miles, which makes long journeys less stressful and puts paid to our biggest criticism of earlier models’ biggest fault. Add in the handling and comfort levels, and it’s one to consider

CC&V RATING: N N N N N