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If you think switching to electric with a small van will save money for your business in the long term, then you'll want one that'll be well looked after. This early version of Fiat's E-Doblo might well fit the bill. And there are few practical compromises over the diesel version.
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History
Small vans are of big importance when it comes to reducing smog in our cities. With other sizes of LCV, you can see why for many operators diesel still makes sense. Small vans though, less troubled by the issues of payload and range which trip up EV vans in other categories, ought to be electric. If you run a few in your fleet but you're still wedded to the black pump, then possibly you're just waiting for the right proposition to come along. Maybe this early version of Fiat's E-Doblo could be it.
Historically, the Doblo model line's been Fiat through and through, but the third generation version, launched here in mid-2022, was a platform-shared Stellantis Group design. Which meant it was essentially the same thing as a Citroen e-Berlingo, a Peugeot E-Partner or a Vauxhall Combo Electric; the Toyota Proace City Electric was the same too. Which meant that apart from the badging, the differences with this E-Doblo lay in value, service support and warranty. The E-Doblo was facelifted at the end of 2023; it's the pre-facelift 2022-2023-era models we look at here. So does this little electric LCV make sense as a used buy?
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What you get
There are few outward signs that this is an EV van - unless you spot the badging or the charging socket. This E-Doblo might be a re-badged version of a familiar Stellantis Group small LCV design but at least from the front end, it doesn't look it. The nose gives this van its own sense of urban style, with Fiat's retro brand badge where you'd normally expect the grille to be: cooling is taken care of by a large intake lower down. As you'd expect, there are long and short wheelbase van and 5-seater Crew Cab versions. Sadly though, there's no option for the kind of high roof variant that was so useful to operators with the previous generation Doblo Cargo.
Inside, the dash and instrument layout is of course as you'll find it with this model's other Stellantis cousins from this period. You'll like the 'Magic Cargo' feature, which enables the van to carry up to three people in the front seats or, alternatively, increase the cargo area's length and loading volume. The passenger-side seat can be raised and the compartment underneath used for boxes or fragile items. The 8-inch centre touchscreen comes with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. There is no lack of storage space in the cab: 16 storage points according to Fiat, these including a 15-litre area in the centre console.
The dimensions are perfectly in line with the segment, with a length of 4,403mm for the short wheelbase version, ensuring an optimum effective usable length of 1.81m and a 3.3m3 capacity, sufficient to accommodate two Euro pallets. There's the usual sliding side door (you get twin slide-opening side doors on the L2 Maxi version) and with both body styles, there are the usual twin side-hinged rear doors that open to 180 degrees. That long wheelbase L2 Maxi version, which is 4,753mm long, of course provides even greater load capacity - 3.9m3. Even more space can be freed up with the clever 'Magic Cargo' feature which Fiat fitted with the plusher 'Primo' trim level. This uses a folding front passenger bench to add an extra 0.4m3, while also increasing the maximum load length by 1.3m. The E-Doblo has a braked towing capacity of 750kg for most versions, except for the L1 Primo version, which can tow 1,000kg. this E-Doblo has a braked towing capacity of 750kg for most versions, except for the L1 Primo version, which can tow 1,000kg.
You can charge the 50kWh battery from a 100kW public rapid charger from 0-80% in 30 minutes. When connected to a 7kW garage wallbox, you'll need seven and a half hours to fully replenish the battery; or five hours with an 11kW wallbox.
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What to look for
This early E-Doblo has got a reasonable reliability record, but has exhibited software faults. Test drive very carefully. And make sure the vehicle charges as it should and that the charging lead is not damaged.
Look out for dashboard warning lights that are illuminating randomly. The front suspension arms and bushes sometimes wear prematurely - look out for knocking sounds going over bumps. And there have been issues with door mechanism failures, the braking system, the air conditioning and the windscreen wiper mechanism. Insist on a full service history and negotiate on the price if the cargo area is scraped and dented.
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Replacement parts
(approx prices, based on a 2022 E-Doblo - ex-VAT - autodoc.co.uk) As with most Fiat models, spare parts are reasonably priced and very plentiful. Front brake pads sell in the £21-£30 bracket - rear pads are from around £17. Front brake discs range in the £28-£65 bracket (rears are priced from around £25). An air filter is in the £7-£32 bracket. A wiper blade is in the £5-£43 bracket.
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On the road
One day in the not-too-distant future, you won't be able to acquire a new van of this size with a combustion engine and if you want that day to come a bit sooner, then the early 2022-2023-era version of this E-Doblo is ready to oblige. It uses a 100kW motor driving the front wheels and powered by a 50kWh battery, which when fully charged can take this early E-Doblo 173 miles (2 miles more than an E-Partner or an e-Berlingo from this period). As usual with this powertrain, there are three driving modes, 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Power'. You won't want to spend too long in 'ECO', unless you really are eeking out battery capacity because it reduces the powertrain's normal 134bhp output to just 80bhp and also restricts the climate system to conserve power. Fiat recommends that you do most of your driving in the 'Normal' setting, which increases the motor output to 107bhp. The top 'Power' mode isn't really intended for sporty driving but for situations when you're carrying heavy loads.
The powertrain also has a 'B' setting which increases the level of regenerative braking to a point where the van slows so much when you come off throttle that you'll very rarely need to use the brake, unless you're coming to a complete stop. You need that B setting to get anywhere near the official driving range figure. As with all electric vehicles, this one has a bit of a weight problem - that drivetrain adds over 300kgs of bulk, but that arguably helps the E-Doblo when it comes to ride quality; you'll feel things like speed humps keenly, but at speed on the open road, it handles tarmac tears a little better than its diesel cousin. This E-Doblo feels really at home in an urban environment and you'll feel really confident in it because the steering is light and the suspension deals with poorer surfaces quite well. The rest to 62mph sprint takes 11.7s and the top speed is restricted to just 81mph, so this EV won't be as good as its diesel counterpart for extended motorway runs.
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Overall
The E-Doblo arrived rather late to this particular segment but that delay gave Fiat time to position its value and warranty package closer to the needs of likely operators. Significant is the fact that quite a few Fiat Professional dealers also look after IVECO trucks, so they're better versed in the needs of commercial operators than a dealership primarily specialising in cars would be.
As for the E-Doblo itself in this early form, well the driving range and practicality stats are competitive for the period. And used prices match the class standard. If you're ready to make the EV switch for this class of van, this one makes more sense than most.
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