The PSA Group and Toyota are now offering the Opel Zafira passenger van and its derivatives with electric instead of diesel engines. This works really well - although not for all applications. Reporter Christoph M. Schwarzer subjected the Opel minibus to an analysis.
An all-electric Citroën ë-Dispatch aka Citroën ë-Jumpy will help London Christmas Tree Rental deliver its trees for Christmas. The e-transporter is expected to travel more than 2,000 miles emission-free as part of the initiative, saving more than 428kg of CO2 compared to an equivalent diesel van.
Mercedes-Benz Vans plans to put the eSprinter on a new platform, the "Electric Versatiles Platform (EVP)," which will allow for longer ranges and different bodies to prepare the electric Sprinter for the demands of the North American market - and potential major customer Amazon.
California-based eMobility startup Canoo delivers a preview of an all-electric, multi-purpose delivery vehicle based on the company's familiar platform.
Ari Motors, based in Borna near Leipzig, Germany, is offering a number of new features for its Ari 458 electric van for the new 2021 model year. The most important update involves the lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are available for the first time and are expected to significantly increase the vehicle's range.
MyMigros, the online supermarket service of the Swiss cooperative Migros Aare, is electrifying its deliveries with fully electric vans. 25 Renault Master Z.E. vans are already in operation and 20 additional vehicles will join the fleet in 2021.
Electric car startup Rivian is reportedly close to closing a multi-billion dollar funding round, with a media report saying the new investments will give Rivian a valuation of $25 billion (around €20 billion).
US manufacturer Workhorse has announced a major order for its electric delivery vehicles, with Pride Group Enterprises, which operates in Canada and the US, ordering 6,320 of Workhorse's C-Series electric delivery vehicles, specifically the C-650 and C-1000 models, with deliveries scheduled to take place between July 2021 and 2026.
Under the BrightDrop brand, US automaker General Motors is looking to build an "integrated ecosystem" of electric delivery trucks, software and services for first-to-last mile logistics, with the first vehicle set to launch soon - with FedEx as the launch customer.
Renault and fuel cell specialist Plug Power plan to establish a 50:50 joint venture based in France by the end of the first half of 2021, aiming for more than 30 percent of the fuel cell-powered light commercial vehicle (LCV) market in Europe.
General Motors has announced plans to transform its Ingersoll plant in the Canadian province of Ontario into a major production facility for electric delivery vehicles, for which GM plans to invest around $800 million.
Under the name Q-Consulting, Quantron, in cooperation with MRK Management Consultants, is now offering fleet operators advice on how to start a zero-emission fleet. The duo's aim is to present customers with individual overall concepts for the integration of alternative drive systems.
Citroën has unveiled the new ë-Berlingo panel van, which is due to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2021 and completes Citroën's trio of electric commercial vehicles after the ë-Jumpy and the ë-Jumper. Visually, it is hardly any different from the combustion engine version.
The municipal waste disposal company Entsorgung Herne is investing 14.7 million euros in the purchase of 13 waste collection vehicles and two sweepers with FC drive. The money will also be used to convert the workshop and depot garages on the company's own premises.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered around 2,700 electric vehicles in 2020, a 167 percent increase over 2019 but representing less than one percent of total sales, which in turn slumped by a quarter in the crisis year compared to 2019.
Nissan has unveiled the e-NV200 Winter Camper Concept, a concept vehicle optimised for off-road conditions based on the familiar e-transporter. The off-road-ready one-off is designed to inspire a "sustainable sense of adventure".
Opel has unveiled the new Combo-e Cargo, an all-electric high-roof van that sorts itself out a notch below the Vivaro-e e-van before the big Movano-e is due to be unveiled later in the year.
Mercedes-Benz has to recall 1,910 units of its eSprinter and eVito electric commercial vehicles worldwide, 1,353 of which are in Germany. According to the KBA, inadequate sealing of the high-voltage battery housing can lead to moisture ingress in the event of corrosion, which would make it impossible to restart the vehicle.
The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMVI) is funding three research projects with a total of 24.4 million euros, which will develop both battery-electric commercial vehicles and fuel cell drives.
Peugeot has unveiled the new e-Partner, completing the usual trio of commercial vehicles from the PSA brands. The electric high-roof van will be launched in two lengths and should be available to order from autumn 2021.
The first People Mover from e.GO Moove received approval for public road use at the end of December 2020, meaning that e.GO Moove GmbH's status as a vehicle manufacturer was finally confirmed by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Quantron has entered into a sales partnership with Fraikin Deutschland GmbH, a member of the French Fraikin Group, to further advance e-mobility in the commercial vehicle sector in the area of long-term rental.
Lordstown Motors plans to start production of its all-electric Endurance pickup truck this September, and with that in mind, it has signed a multi-year contract with LG Energy Solution to supply battery cells.
Faraday Future has found a partner for its long-announced IPO. After merging with investment firm Property Solutions Acquisition, the new Faraday Future Inc. will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "FFIE." The company has also entered into a master agreement with Geely.
General Motors has announced its intention to largely abandon the internal combustion engine by 2035, with the aim of "eliminating tailpipe emissions" from new "light-duty vehicles" - according to the US definition, these are passenger cars and light commercial vehicles up to around 3.8 tonnes.
US fleet management company Merchants Fleet has announced plans to procure 12,600 EV600 electric delivery vans from new General Motors brand BrightDrop, which will be added to its customers' fleets from early 2023.
Following the introduction of the subscription models for the EQC and EQV, Mercedes-Benz is extending its range of subscriptions for the first time to include e-transporters with commercial vehicle registration: the eVito panel van and the eSprinter are now also available "on subscription".
The Daimler Group has announced plans to split up, with Daimler Truck AG to be floated on the stock market as an independent company and the passenger car division, soon to be renamed Mercedes-Benz, to focus on electric drives and vehicle software.
Amazon has begun initial testing of Rivian's e-delivery truck, developed specifically for the eCommerce giant, in parts of Los Angeles. The vehicle is currently being tested on some delivery routes, with plans to deploy the e-truck in 15 more cities by the end of the year.
VDL Bus Venlo becomes an industrial partner of Camperfixx, a motorhome builder from Friesland. VDL will build compact electric campers based on the almost identical vehicles Peugeot Expert, Toyota Proace, Opel Vivaro and Citroën Jumpy, with the first example to be completed in February.
The Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer is now available in its extra-long design as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. There are no changes to the drive system, but there are changes to the cab conversion, which Daimler is offering together with conversion specialist AMF-Bruns.
Electric car startup Rivian, which is backed by Amazon and Ford among others, is looking for European locations for a new plant, according to informed sources, with Germany, the UK and Hungary among those under discussion.
London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) is launching into the Austrian market with the appointment of Grünzweig Automobil GmbH, a dealership offering full sales and after-sales support for the Geely subsidiary's vehicles.
Nissan has confirmed plans for its next generation of vans in Europe. The new series will also be launched with a purely electric drive. The model name or even technical data, however, the Japanese do not yet call.
BYD significantly increased sales of its electric vehicles in China in January, and the Chinese manufacturer is also preparing to enter the Australian and New Zealand markets - with electric cars.
Spanish startup Lupa has announced plans to build one of several planned production facilities in Uruguay. The factory is scheduled to go into operation in 2024, where it plans to build the featured e-small car and an e-delivery van, among other things.
British electric vehicle developer Arrival has shown off the latest version of its delivery vehicle, which is due to go into test use with customers from this summer, revealing technical data - including the battery.
UK e-vehicle developer Arrival has announced its second microfactory in the US, which will be located in Charlotte, North Carolina and is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2022.
Renault Trucks plans to offer an all-electric range for each market segment (distribution, construction and long-haul) from 2023 onwards. To this end, the company has now created various departments specialising in electric mobility. Renault has also revealed initial technical specifications for the Kangoo Rapid panel van.
Toyota is founding another joint venture for commercial vehicles with fuel cells in China. The new joint venture, in which Toyota and fuel cell specialist SinoHytec each hold a 50 percent stake, is to focus on the production and sale of FC systems.
Mercedes-Benz Vans has announced that it will build the next generation of the eSprinter in a total of three plants - two of them in Germany - starting in 2023. The vehicle will then also be based on a new platform, as we know.
Around 4,850 electrified Opel vehicles (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles) were newly registered in Germany in Q1 2021, meaning that around one in ten Opels sold in Germany was a battery-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid.
Ekoenergetyka is working on a new series of charging stations for e-commercial vehicles, offering outputs of between 750 kW and 1.5 MW. 22 of these new "Ultrachargers" from the Polish charging infrastructure specialist are to be introduced initially at test locations in Germany and Poland by the end of 2023.
Hyundai Motor officially unveils its new Staria van range, which will be launched in Germany in the second half of 2021. The Hyundai Staria will initially launch with internal combustion engines, with "more environmentally friendly powertrains" to follow in the coming years.
DHL Express has purchased 100 of the first e-Ducato vans for its European fleet as part of a partnership with Fiat Professional. As part of Deutsche Post DHL Group's recently unveiled sustainability roadmap, DHL Express plans to expand its delivery fleet to 14,000 e-vans by 2030.
Toyota has begun launching the Proace Electric and Proace Verso Electric in Europe, with list prices in Germany starting at €41,948 for the Proace Electric and €58,530 for the Proace Verso Electric, with the smaller Proace City Electric to follow in October this year.
Solar electric car startup Sono Motors has reached an agreement with MAN Truck & Bus to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of integrating its solar technology on MAN's eTGE electric van.
In the US state of Hawaii, a new law requires the entire state fleet to be converted to electric vehicles, by 2030 for passenger cars and 2035 for light trucks.
Gordon Murray Group has announced plans to develop its own electric car platform for small cars and vans, as part of a now-announced £300 million investment plan over the next five years.
Renault Group is creating an independent umbrella company called Renault ElectriCity for electric car production at its Douai, Maubeuge and Ruitz plants in northern France. Renault ElectriCity is to be measured against a target of 400,000 vehicles per year from 2025.
Geely subsidiary LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) will begin launching the VN5 van model, already available in the UK, in continental Europe this month, with a dealer network in Europe currently comprising 22 partners and expected to grow to over 40 dealers by the end of the year.
SAIC's commercial vehicle brand Maxus is now also launching the eDeliver 9 on the German market, following the previous introduction of the EV80 and eDeliver 3 in this country. The new e-transporter is available in various body and battery variants and is priced from €51,490 net.
ElectricBrands from Itzehoe presents the prototype of the XBUS (formerly eBussy), which is expected to roll off the production line as a series model from 2022. The company is the successor company of emobs GmbH. The XBUS is intended to score points in the L7e light electric vehicle class with its modular superstructures and interchangeable batteries. The company has targeted commercial and private [...]
Leasing company LeasePlan plans to contract British electric vehicle developer Arrival to build 3,000 e-transporters. The corresponding sales contract is expected to be concluded before the end of the third quarter of 2021. Series production of the Arrival transporter is scheduled to start in Q3/2022.
UK energy provider and charging network operator Octopus Energy is taking delivery of 23 e-Expert all-electric vans from Peugeot. The vehicles will be used in the company's service fleet to install charging stations in London.
Hyundai plans to double its fuel cell vehicle lineup from the current three to six within two years, according to a South Korean media report. Currently, Hyundai offers the Nexo car model, the Elec City Fuel Cell bus and the Xcient truck with fuel cells.
UK-based Dynamo Motor Company has unveiled its growth plans, with plans to hire 275 new employees and increase its conversion capacity to 10,000 vehicles annually by 2026.
Volkswagen could launch the production version of the ID. Buzz in three different variants, according to a media report, with regional differences.
By law, the market for GHG quota trading will also be opened to operators of electric fleets from 2022 onwards. This means that three- to four-digit euro revenues per year and e-vehicle await. The company GreenTrax is active in quota trading and explains everything worth knowing for fleet operators in the following guest article.
Renault has announced an all-electric camping van concept car for the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, which starts at the end of August. The "Hippie Caviar Hotel" also offers a preview of the first all-battery Renault Trafic, which will make its market debut in 2022.
A few months before the official launch of the Ford E-Transit in spring 2022, European fleet customers have now received some pre-production vehicles for real-world field trials. In Germany, two E-Transits are being tested in Cologne.
Renault and Brilliance's Chinese joint venture for primarily electric vans, formed in late 2017, may be on the verge of ending, with both partners currently in advanced talks to terminate the joint venture, according to an agency report.
Hermes is using nine new electric vans in Reutlingen and the neighbouring towns of Pfullingen and Lichtenstein - and is phasing out diesel vans to do so. By 2025, the logistics group wants to switch to emission-free deliveries in the inner city areas of Germany's 80 largest cities.
Sono Motors and Ari Motors have unveiled a light electric vehicle prototype with solar integration at the Intersolar trade show in Munich, Germany. The solar integration on the prototype's charging box delivers up to 450 watts of peak power, which is expected to extend the vehicle's range by an average of 20 kilometers per day.
The Peugeot e-Boxer is now available to order in Germany. Launched in August 2020, the electric panel van, which will be offered in two battery versions, is initially available in three of four length variants.
Opel has opened the order books in Germany for the new Movano and its electric version, the Movano-e. The Opel Movano-e is the German brand's first electric model in the large van range, with a starting price of 57,990 euros (net).
A few days after the Opel Combo-e Cargo, the two sister models Citroën ë-Berlingo panel van and Peugeot e-Partner are now also available to order in Germany. The variants of the two French brands are even slightly cheaper than the Opel.
Electric vehicle converter Voltia has announced the launch of five new electric XL van models. The new 11-cubic metre vans are based on the Stellantis platform for Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Vauxhall and Toyota vehicles.
BYD has appointed Bluekens EV as the first dealer in the Netherlands for its all-electric trucks and vans. The company is a subsidiary of Bluekens Group and will handle sales and after-sales services for BYD e-transport vehicles up to twelve tonnes in the Netherlands.
Stellantis has announced the launch of two new Fiat models that will also be launched as pure electric vehicles. Specifically, these are a van and a van. The names are well known: Ulysse for the van, Scudo for the van.
Looking ahead to Amazon's big order for 100,000 e-transporters from US startup Rivian, there are new details on the vehicle's specs, including that the van, designed specifically for the online retail giant, will be built in two trim levels and three sizes.
Mercedes-Benz Vans is making its vision for the urban delivery traffic of the future tangible with the Sustaineer technology carrier. The fully electric van based on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter has innovations and technical solutions on board that have been "designed for possible series production readiness".
Renault has released more details on the Kangoo Rapid E-Tech Electric, which will go on sale in Europe in spring 2022. Like its predecessor, the compact van will be offered in two length variants that offer the same storage volume and payload as their conventionally powered counterparts.
Citroën is working with partners to transform the Greek island of Chalki, located in the southeastern Aegean Sea, into an emission-free, energy-autonomous eco-island. In the medium term, every vehicle on Chalki is to be replaced by an e-car.
Itzehoe-based ElectricBrands has unveiled another prototype of its L7e-model XBUS. The "off-road box" is aimed primarily at commercial customers and is said to feature several improvements over the prototype shown in July.
Italian electric vehicle manufacturer Tazzari has unveiled three new light electric vehicles at the Eicma show in Milan, including a two-seater city car, a van and a retro-style four-seater buggy.
From spring 2022, the all-electric Renault Master Z.E. will get more battery capacity and therefore a longer range. The battery capacity of the Master Z.E. will increase from 33 to 52 kWh, bringing the range in the WLTP city cycle to 244 kilometres.
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a major upgrade to the electric drivetrain (eATS) in the eVito panel van, with battery capacity increasing by 70 per cent to now 60 kWh. The panel van also gets a DC fast-charging function ex works.
Fiat has unveiled the new Scudo, announced at the end of October, and at the same time opened the order books. The new Scudo is the second commercial vehicle from Fiat Professional, after the Ducato, that is also available in an electric version.
As announced, Nissan has now ended production at its plant in Barcelona, meaning that the electric Nissan e-NV200 van is also history. However, Nissan already presented the successor to the NV200 and its e-variant e-NV200, the Townstar, in September.
General Motors' BrightDrop brand has received more large orders for electric delivery trucks. While it's the first order for Walmart, logistics company FedEx is already reordering - and looking to secure options on more vehicles.
Amazon will be the first commercial customer for the new ProMaster BEV, an offshoot of the Stellantis-branded Ram electric Fiat Ducato, coming to the U.S. market in 2023. The company has confirmed the order, but many details are not yet known.
Fox E-Mobility has taken another step towards the start of production and has completed the overall design of its new Mia electric car range. The first prototypes are planned for later this year, with series production in cooperation with a vehicle manufacturer set to begin in 2024.
Volkswagen plans to launch its ID. buzz in September at an entry-level price of under €60,000, according to a media report. After the model's unveiling on March 9, orders for the MEB van will apparently be accepted starting in May.
Mercedes-Benz Vans is completing winter tests near the Arctic Circle under extreme climatic conditions with the next generation eSprinter, which will be announced at the end of 2020. The focus was apparently on reliability in winter conditions.
Rivian reported its fourth quarter and full year 2021 financials, and due to the expenses of the production ramp-up, the loss widened tremendously. With shipments still at manageable levels, revenues remain low.
The Cenntro Electric Group from the US state of New Jersey, a developer and manufacturer of light and medium-duty electric commercial vehicles, has acquired a stake in Tropos Motors Europe.
The long-awaited VW ID. buzz has celebrated its premiere. Volkswagen praises the "first purely electric bus and van series in Europe" in the highest terms. With the premiere, further data on the electric minibus is now known - against which VW Group CEO Herbert Diess must also be measured after his announcements.
Ford has announced plans to introduce three new electric passenger cars and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024, with a goal of selling more than 600,000 electric vehicles annually in Europe starting in 2026. There are also details on Ford's MEB model.
VW Commercial Vehicles is aiming for battery-electric vehicles to account for more than 55 percent of sales in Europe by 2030, not only with the currently announced model series such as the ID. Buzz and the e-Crafter, but also with new models featuring electric drive systems.
Contrary to plans, the VW ID Buzz will initially go on sale in the classic sales model. Like the other electric models in the ID family, the MEB van was also to be sold in the agency model. But nothing will come of this for the time being.
Ford Pro has unveiled the all-electric E-Transit Custom, which will go into production in the second half of 2023. The E-Transit Custom is expected to offer a range of up to 380 kilometres and a towing capacity similar to the diesel version.
US-based United Rentals has signed an agreement with Ford Pro to purchase 530 all-electric vehicles for its North American rental and corporate fleets, comprising 500 units of the F-150 Lightning pickup truck and 30 units of the E-Transit van.
With the activation of the configurator, the pre-sale of the VW ID Buzz and the ID Buzz Cargo starts this Friday in Germany and most European markets.
Stellantis and Toyota have announced an expansion of their partnership to include a new large van for European markets, scheduled for mid-2024, which will also get a battery-electric version.
Fiat has unveiled the new generation of the Doblo and E-Doblo, with the passenger car variant launching exclusively with an all-electric powertrain and the van version coming in either a combustion or electric model.
A new electric car brand has been announced in the form of Olymp Cars. The Vienna-based company is planning a range of vehicles based on its own platform called Hephaistos, with model names taken from Greek mythology. According to media reports, the first vehicles will be unveiled in spring 2023.
Chinese SAIC commercial vehicle brand Maxus has revamped its e-transporters for the new model year, with the updates aimed at "improving the diversity and everyday usability" of its commercial vehicles.
UK postal service Royal Mail has commissioned its 3,000th electric van and ordered 2,000 more e-vehicles. The new order goes to Peugeot and includes 1,000 electric Partner and Expert models each, which are due for delivery from August.
The Chinese SAIC commercial vehicle brand Maxus is further expanding its dealer network in Germany. The new Maxus partner is Max Schultz Automobile, which will in future also sell the Chinese brand's e-commercial vehicles at its headquarters in Sonnefeld, Bavaria, and at four other locations in Thuringia, Saxony and Bavaria.
Only three purely electric models will be available in Germany this year, according to a market analysis by the magazine "Auto Motor und Sport", although there are some models that are difficult to classify.
Nissan has started series production of the Townstar EV for the European markets. The successor to the e-NV200 is based on the CMF-C platform developed with alliance partner Renault and is now being manufactured in Maubeuge, France.
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