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The LEVC VN5 offers a more credible kind of EV van to businesses looking for a more flexible operating proposition than a full-electric LCV can offer. Think of it as a mid-sized battery van you can put fuel in, with Chinese investment, British build and a design tailored for city use.
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Driving experience
LEVC calls this an 'electric van', even though you put fuel in it and it has a 1.5-litre three cylinder engine. A Plug-in Hybrid designation is closer, but in this case the engine never actually drives the wheels; that's done by a 148bhp electric motor on the back axle powered by a 34.3kWh battery capable of taking the VN5 up to 73 miles before fossil fuel is required - at which point you can go another 255 miles. This type of drive format is better described by the term LEVC uses - that of a 'Range Extender'. The only other contender close to offering this kind of set-up is Ford's Transit Custom PHEV, but that uses a much smaller 11.8kWh battery, so has nothing like the EV range of a VN5.
It certainly feels like an EV to drive. With key in pocket, you simply press the brake pedal and move the gear selector rocker switch clockwise to turn on, then click the selector into Drive. There are three drive settings: 'Pure EV' keeps things all-electric until charge runs out. 'Save' allows you to store battery energy until you need it (perhaps for urban driving at the end of a long motorway trip). And 'Smart' does it all for you, managing energy automatically. There are also three brake energy regeneration settings, comprising a coasting function and two levels of resistance, accessed by moving the gear selector right or left. The VN5 is sprightly off the line. And it's taxi origins are revealed by a super-tight 10.1-metre turning circle.
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Design and build
Because the VN5 looks so unusual, initially it's a little difficult to ascertain exactly what class of van this is. Actually, the single variant it comes in is sized somewhere between standard length and long wheelbase versions of mid-size models like the Ford Transit Custom and the Vauxhall Vivaro. The front end is shared with LEVC's TX taxi and like that model, the VN5 features aluminium construction beneath its plastic body panels.
Inside, there's only room for two (though you can have the passenger seat taken out if you want more carriage space). You view a set of fully-digital instruments. And build quality and the materials used are better than you might expect, mainly because so much is borrowed from Volvo, including the gear selector and the 9-inch portrait centre touchscreen. You sit quite high, as is the van norm, but there's no arm rest or space for your elbow on the door card. The door mirrors are rather small too. As for cabin storage space, there are cup holders, a reasonably-sized glovebox, overhead storage, averagely-sized door bins and space for a lidded box between the seats. Avoid base spec and you get under seat storage too. Two USB ports are provided for your devices.
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Market and model
Three VN5 variants are offered, all with the same 34.3kWh battery. At the time of this Review in Summer 2023, base 'Business'-spec was priced at around £54,000, the mid-range 'City' version was just under £56,000 and top 'Ultima' cost just over £59,000. All these prices are excluding VAT but will be reduced by a £5,000 government Plug-in grant because this is classified as an 'electric vehicle'. Base 'Business' spec includes dual zone climate control, a 9-inch centre touchscreen, auto headlamps and wipers and powered heated mirrors. Plus LED cargo lighting, cruise control and an alarm. The mid-range 'City' version adds a heated windscreen, extra storage under the front seats, all-round parking sensors and a fully-cladded load area.
Top 'Ultima' spec is set apart by 'Charcoal Grey' metallic paint, body-coloured front and rear bumpers and D-pillar covers, plus silver steel wheels. The driver and passenger get power-adjusted heated luxury seats and the centre screen gains satellite navigation. There's a rear view camera and the cargo area is upgraded with 8 tie-loops. Plus there's a faster 22kW AC fast charging system.
All VN5s get twin front and side airbags, and an 'Autonomous Emergency Braking' system that can detect pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, there's a 'Forward Collision Warning' system with vulnerable road user protection. Provided you avoid entry-level trim, you also get a 'Safety Pack' with 'Road sign information', a Speed limit intelligent function', 'Lane departure warning' and driver and passenger curtain airbags.
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Summary
Here's a rather unique LCV proposition. A one-tonne decently-sized van that's classified electric and for most users will nearly always operate that way too. Yet it offers the fuelling flexibility to really do a day's work when and if the battery charge runs out. But how often will your van really cover more than 73 miles a day? The way your business answers that question will determine a lot about the way your business views the VN5.
Yes it's expensive - a lot more expensive than we hoped it would be - but there's a government grant to help with that. And it's significantly cheaper than the only other petrol/electric plug-in van on the market, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV. That Ford has a much smaller battery, so it's going to be using fossil fuel far more often than its LEVC rival. True, the Transit Custom PHEV has a higher payload rating and more load space, but if you don't really need that and don't mind this VN5 model's quirky looks, it's hard to see why the right kind of business wouldn't give this British-built, Chinese-financed contender a chance. It may not be the perfect electric van for the distant future, but it could well be the perfect one for right now.
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