Van and Commercial Vehicle Awards 2024: Best Medium Electric Van

Price from (excluding VAT) £40,355 Range Up to 205 miles CO2 emissions 0g/km Max load space 5.3m3 or 6.1m3 Payload 1226kg (1392kg in Prime Platform Cab) Power 134bhp Torque 192lb ft

The Vauxhall Vivaro Electric was our overall Van of the Year champion back in 2020, and even three years on, it still has enough of a spark (sorry!) to take the prize in the Medium Electric Van category.

It’s one of those vehicles that sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it really does. For example, if you’re worried that being electric might rob the Vivaro of some loadspace, then don’t be, because the Vivaro Electric has identical internal dimensions to its diesel-powered siblings.

Standard–wheelbase and long-wheelbase variants are offered (there’s only one roof height, though, and one plated vehicle weight of 3.1 tonnes), and you get loadspace of 5.3m3 in the former and 6.1m3 in the latter, figures that aren’t class-leading, but are nevertheless competitive. Maximum payload, meanwhile, stands at 1226kg.

And if you’re also worried that having the same electric drive system as the Corsa Electric small car might leave you short of go, then again, you needn’t. Despite the stark difference in size and weight between the two vehicles, the Vivaro still feels perky enough thanks to the electric motor’s instant torque and the smooth, uninterrupted electric power delivery. The absence of a diesel engine also helps towards an impressive level of overall refinement, while the Viviaro stays comfortable and easy to drive in most situations.

Worried about range? Well, fear not, because the Vivaro does a decent job here, too. Two battery options are offered, the 50kWh one giving an official range of 143 miles, while the 75kWh delivers a theoretical 205 miles, which again, are competitive figures. You can also rapid-charge at up to 100kW, meaning that if you can find a powerful enough public charger, a 0-80% top-up will take either 30 minutes or 45 minutes, respectively.

There’s plenty of competition in this sector, not least from Vauxhall’s own backyard: parent company Stellantis also offers the Citroen e-Dispatch and Peugeot e-Expert, which are mechanically identical to the Vivaro Electric, and even Toyota offers a version of the same vehicle, known as the Proace Electric. Obviously, they’re all identical in practicality, build quality and driving manners, and very similar in price and spec. However, we’ve gone for the Vauxhall here because its slightly stronger resale values give it the lowest long-term ownership costs.

There’s an updated version of the Vivaro Electric coming next year, and we’ve already driven it to confirm that it should offer the same winning attributes as the current model. And good news – it does.

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