Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has delivered its first e-Crafter electric vans to customers from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The vehicles will be on trial until the summer in a variety of duties including package delivery, energy suppliers, trade businesses and retailers covering between 45 and 60 miles per day and hundreds of stops. Research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles indicates that around 85 percent of urban LCV trips fit within these parameters, and the e-Crafter has been tailored to match these with a 100kW battery, range of 100 miles and a top speed limited to 56mph.
Dr Eckhard Scholz, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “We have developed the new e-Crafter with our customers and for our customers. We are therefore now integrating selected fleet operators into an initial customer phase so that their findings in daily operations with the vehicles can flow into the final design of the zero-emission van.”
The e-Crafter’s lithium-ion battery is housed in the underbody area, leaving the load area of 10.7 cubic metres available for cargo, with a loading width and height of 1380mm and 1861mm respectively. The available payload is between 1.0 and 1.75 tonnes depending on the version.
The 35.8 kWh battery can be charged to 80 percent capacity in 45 minutes at a CCS charging station delivering 40kW DC, while an overnight charge via an AC wallbox a 100 percent charge is achieved in 5 hours 20 minutes. As with conventionally-powered Crafter vehicles, the e-Crafter is fitted with modern safety systems such as Park Assist with side protection and a multifunction camera system.
