Van and Commercial Vehicle Awards 2024: Best Large Electric Van

Price from (excluding VAT) £48,045 Range 196 miles CO2 emissions 0g/km Max load space 15.1m3 Payload kg 1758kg (2091kg Single Chassis Cab) Power 181-265bhp Torque 317lb ft

We’ve already announced the Ford E-Transit as our Best Large Van, and it also happens to be electric, so you don’t need the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes to figure out that it’d probably also take the plaudits in our Large Electric Van category as well.

And for pretty much all the same basic reasons as before: it’s just brilliant at the business of being a van. It has the ability to transport huge amounts of stuff from place to place with the minimum of fuss or faff, and it does so in the kind of cost-effective manner that’s so essential for businesses. Yes, it’ll cost you a chunk more at the outset than its diesel-powered equivalent, but if you can charge it up at home or at work, it will pay you back over time in reduced running costs.

Plus, compared with rival electric vans, the E-Transit looks like exceptional value for money. It’ll cost you considerably less than rivals such as the Mercedes eSprinter, and is very competitive on price with other electric van rivals that are inferior in a number of ways.

And regardless of its effectiveness as a van, it makes a far more compelling case for itself than all its rivals as an electric vehicle. It has a larger battery than any of its key rivals, at 68kWh, and that in turn gives it a far superior range of up to 196 miles. A full charge from a standard 7.4kW wallbox charger will take around eleven and a half hours, and for when you need to charge on-the-go, the E-Transit supports rapid charging speeds of up to 115kW, allowing a 15-80% top-up in just 34 minutes, if you use a powerful enough public charging station.

And what’s more, the E-Transit is just a nicer van than its rivals to move from job to job in. It’s the most comfortable and most wieldy van of its type, and it’s also by far the most powerful, with outputs of either 181bhp or 261bhp on offer. OK, so speed is unlikely to be a deal-breaker for most van drivers, but the power advantage makes it effortless to get around the place, especially with a full payload on board. In short, few vans of any type make your working day as easy as the E-Transit.

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