LIKE if you think all vans should be electric and SHARE if you're excited about electric vehicles. In this episode Andy looks at what's on the horizon for electric vans, both in the short and medium term, but also what advancements we might see in the future. Andy talks to van expert, Paul Kirby, to find out more about the influx of electric vans we can expect to see come to market over the next year including the impressive Mercedes eVito. The eVito is smooth to drive and delivers the luxury you would expect from Mercedes and, while the price reflects this, there are many grants available to make this more affordable. He also sneaks a visit to the ARRIVAL workshop to speak with a special guest (spoiler - it's Robert) about the innovative design of ARRIVAL's delivery vans and how viable commercial electric vans could be if you add in vehicle-to-grid charging and solar energy. What feels certain is that the next generation of vans must, and will, be electric. Fully Charged is 100% independent thanks to TH-cam Memberships and Patreons. Without you this channel wouldn’t be possible! If you’d like to help support the Fully Charged channel and its mission: Become a Patreon: www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a TH-cam member: use JOIN button above Subscribe to Fully Charged & the Fully Charged PLUS channels Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : buff.ly/2GybGt0 Browse the Fully Charged store: shop.fullycharged.show/ Visit our LIVE exhibitions in the UK, USA & Europe: FullyCharged.Show/events Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter: fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: FullyCharged.Show Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/fullychargedshw Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/fullychargedshow Timestamps: 0:00 Future of electric vans 1:06 Paul's predictions 1:18 Vauxhall, Peugeot, Toyota 1:41 Renault Zoe van 1:50 Maxus e Deliver 3 & 9 2:08 Loads of vans coming 2:21Arrival workshop 2:41 Ground-up design 4:23 Rivian's vans for Amazon 4:46 Mercedes eVito 5:31 eVito - 2 lengths 6:28 Range stats 7:07 V2G benefits for vans 8:36 Solar savings 9:21 Quick to fix 10:26 Arrival's latest design 10:44 Smooth drive 11:37 Let's talk money 11:55 Grants & incentives 12:48 Charging 13:52 Standard vs Progressive 15:25 Not as much poke! 16:58 Some downsides 17:19 Campervan dreaming 17:51 Subscribe, support, join
I think that the lack of flexibility of the Vito with low range and low charge rate will be a terminal limitation for this one. My guess is that it is an interim offering only
Nearly all these vans are 'what can we fit in the existing shell, without spending much money' designs so they are all compromised. Skateboard-based vans have a lot more potential in the medium term. The passenger version of this van (EQV) has a decent battery (98kWh) so one will physically fit. They've just decided that no van owner wants to pay for it.
@@Wookey. As you said, their research probably showed that keeping the price down was more important than getting the range up. They'd probably figured that there's a decent proportion of vans that do less than 100km/day (2/3 of rated range), so why not aim for those? I think the stake of the vans that does sub 100km/day or even sub 50km/day will be staggering.
@@ndc5544p It is very annoying that it's not even an option. They've developed the tech so why not let people choose it? It would be the best van available for camper use with these options. Bloody expensive of course, but then campers are. I guess they just don't think they'll sell enough.
I have to admit, I skipped the first episode (and maybe the 2nd) then I started with this one, stopped and went back to watch from one till now. It is very well done and I think Andy does a fantastic job explaining all the different models for different customers, he makes it sound so easy and just wanted to let you guys know. Well done Andy and FC!!
Totally agree -a great 'escape van'! How about adding some Tesla batteries to it to get the range up? I'm thinking this is the kind of thing EV West will do as soon as they can get their hands on one.
Not going to happen unless you have the money for an expensive purchase and the upgrade of the battery..the DIY camper market is over with EVs. In 2030 there will be longer range vans, but commercial vehicles don't do the mileage.. and if you do the miles and long deliveries then it will be a hybrid like the London Taxi variant. The DIY camper van is a little spin off of the last 50 years and sadly over..sure you will be able, but it will be like buying and ex 4x4 military or utility van...expensive and rare. You could convert a classic camper or custom camper- and no doubt the very expensive retirement coach built camper vans will be on sale. A Zoe and tent or Air BnB is the reality.
@@snowstrobe just my opinion [and wisdom] seriously I think we have come to the end of an age... I would be interested to hear why you think differently. And BTW, a big change will be longevity..EV last, in the past /present a diesel is sold on to the 2nd hand market when it gets too expensive to maintain- about 130-160k mileage- EVs will do half a million miles..there will not be the vehicles for the DIY market- but what do you think?
When I first saw you were going to do 5 episodes on electric vans, I thought BORING! You are on number 3 now, and I am finding the episodes fascinating. Thank you for this series on vans.
Thanks for clearing up the 3 meter back storage measurements, my sons business they have to transport 3m long Gymnastic crash mats, which when standing will not fit at all. BUGGER!
Now if these companies can make something with valid range and efficiency... not just compliance vehicles to make the legacy ICE fleet look more attractive.
It's all about the campervan for me, needs range plus with the weightand being able to throttle charging to campsite power and/or solar + fast charge. I'll do 3/4 hour drives in my vw t4 regularly when travelling.
Robert really is a believer. Don't worry Bobby, Diesel vans will be around for a long time yet. Diesels are still more suitable for irregular distances (think the useage profile of a tradesman) and indeed people doing big daily mileages. City vans, and anything fixed route, then absolutely electric can makes sens, the arrival and rivian vans are very impressive for this; but this idea that they will resoundly replace diesel even in the next 20 years or so is unlikely. I was thinking about someone I had in to do some work, part way through the day he had to go and pick up some materials 60 miles away. If it was winter, and he was on 2/3 of a charge after reaching me, then had to do that trip, he's not going to want to stop for an hour to charge the van up... Time is money and it doesn't make sense. Forward planning reduces opportunity and what if he has to turn down a job because his van can't make the trip without an hour stop, and that makes him uncompetitive? For the privaledge of this his van is more expensive.... Until range/fill-up times are as irrelevant as an ICE vehicle it won't happen.
I do believe that diesel will exist for a small niche of companies that do need the long range for now, but companies are very focused on the total cost of ownership and reliability. And then electric vans make much more sense. And as long as you don't need to drive further than the max range in one go then it's more convenient because you "fill up" at your parking spot while hardly having to do anything. Then you don't need a fast charge because it's gonna sit there for hours anyway. That 7 kilowatt charge was indeed slow and in the occasion you need a higher speed it's certainly too slow, but Tesla has proven that there is a lot that can be improved if need be. I just think that the current offering would already be an improvement for 50% of the market and as the EV vans improve, that will grow to 90-100% of the market.
@@timojissink4715 'as long as you don't need to drive further than the max range', this is absolutely key. Even at double the current range, I think that excludes most of the market. We really need to get to 400mile range before range isn't an issue for widespread adoption. Payload is also an issue, and as electric vans are so much heavier it reduces the available load, so for a standard size transit/vito etc you have less loading capacity than a diesel. I'm all for the right technology for the application, but there needs to be a couple of giant leaps in battery technology before we reach the promised land. The most ambitious projections put adoption of electric passenger cars at 50% of the market in the next decade, perhaps this is realistic in the UK - For delivery and other vans in cities I could see widespread adoption, and that probably can't come soon enough, but I don't think diesels will be niche for a long, long time; there are just too many drawbacks of EV still. As for here today in 2021, I think an electric van might be suitable for 10% of the market at the most nationwide.
@@adogmcdizzle I guess that really differs per country, I look from the perspective of the Netherlands and you probably the US where I've heard 10 hour trips are not uncommon XD The longest dive I've made that's not a vacation is 2 hours for example.
Yes, campervan dreaming is also the only reason I am looking at all these electric vans. Now, just wait a few years before they are coming out of the lease and are sold. I must say, not this basic eVito, but the eVito tourer with 100kWh could be very good for this.
I‘m missing the miles to km calculation folks. As a „normal“ European one uses the metrical system. No inch, no miles no barrels. It’s liters, km and meter! Guys please add that. It’s not only british people watching ;)
Arrival should make one or two concept campervans and show them at the caravan salon in Düsseldorf.. I am pretty sure lots of people (and converters) will certainly be interested.
It may be less interesting than the cars, but these are so much more important. We should be moving towards public transport. But in cases like this vans will always be just as needed.
I don't know what it is, but I love the look of that Arrival van... though not taken with what could be seen of the new design. And what is in that massive space in the front of the e-vito?
Might have start running the vans. From 15:00 to midnight and then charge in the morning during the solar spike, minimize the need for large grid battery storage facilities.
the lack of fast charging is a head scratcher, if you are in a logisics depot, the speed would be useful (charge while you load) and if you are doing long runs its more or less essential. perhaps you could interview someone to understand why its a challenge.. is it battery tech? software or simply more copper and kit for the inverters etc. ??
The longest Post route in the UK is .....78 miles in the Highlands.. delivery vehicles simply do not do the mileage.. and range is weight, and think about it- say you have 20-50 delivery vehicles in your depot..with there own 7 kWh charger you don't need to buy a lot of expensive wall chargers, and have expensive upgrade of your 3 phase supply.
@@effervescence5664 and you would be able to charge 3 vehicles off each of the supply. A small business with 300 amps of usable supply could then charge 3-6 vehicles safely at night without the need for expensive fast chargers [DC transformers] which would only to able to charge as many vehicles as the ampage would allow.
@@julesdingle there are other businesses than post offices though... if you are say maintaining alarm systems or lifts, having 2 calls in a day that are 100 miles apart is totally likely. and even if you only have a 7kw supply at the depot.. then so what, you dont have to match the supply to the max capacity of the van. but it means you could in the future.
@@mralistair737 I agree, but evidently the legacy automakers are going for the fleet market for deliveries particularly in cities. These are the biggest purchasers buying 1000s of vans at a time. A break down in sales determines that most are short deliveries, with the next lot being longer 250 mile plus a day- which Transit hybrid and the London Taxi variant seem to be going for. It is economic driven- city vehicles guzzle diesel and are getting pollution taxed, the mid range van deliveries with diesel on the motorway and electric in cities being the best option for now. I think in the coming decade with battery density improvements there will be jump to all BEV, and possibly hydrogen BEV. The options appear to be decided on a spreadsheet.
All I am waiting for is an Electric Van ideal for conversions... And solar panels that can produce 10x the energy (prob impossible) so I can be fully off-grid...
given the talk of campervans, the one area not really covered yet is EV enabled caravans. There must be a way of adding batteries to caravans to extend the range of the car / van combo. You could then use the caravan when not in use as semi permanent V2G, or V2H especially with solar panels in the roof of the van. One of the caravan's axels can be for regen, but not power, to increase range further.
When UPS drivers come back at the end of the day, they have to maneuver their way through the facility to a parking spot. This can sometimes lead to hits with other vehicles hence why they have cheap simple metal bumpers on the front and rear that can take a slight hit and spring back. I just hope they consider there are vehicles crashes every day in each district from. Class 3 (intersection crash), to class 1 (side swipe or little bump into mailbox). The way they're currently designed allows mechanics to easily replace and fix any broken parts.
12:48 Charging - you do realise if your driver is at a public vend, the location of the chargeport (mid-way behind door) will be really awkward if not impossible unless you park at an acute angle to get the charging lead to engage! Unless there is a really long charging cable. And parking parallel usually stops others from using the other public vends.
The l3 looks like it fits 8 by 4 sheets stood on edge right up to the top of the bulk head. If this is true then this is a real usp for this size of van. If you could check this for the van reviews it would be more beneficial for the review
The slow charge rate could be deciding factor. I imagine a quick charging van could be topped up during a break or lunchtime. But at a 7kw charge rate, you would hardly get any juice into it.
We need to see a range reduction by loaded weight test. So many think that van range drops by 50% if you load them up, but its just not true. There was one, possibly fake, test done a few years ago that stranegly found the range drops by 50%.
Most of your content so far has talked about either self employed or big fleets that return to a business location over night. Can you cover fleets of vans that go home with the driver that will presumably require charging points installing at employees homes?
I did speak to a Openreach engineer about this as they have begun using EV's, he didn't know the details. but seemed to think there was some payment to the engineers involved. It did strike me there was some balance between having the van to drive home in, and cost of charging it up, assuming the charging costs where quite low.
Is there much point in getting an electric van, if you can only charge on one pin of the 3-Phase Type-2 AC plug, and not even on a DC charger? My answer would be *No* . If I can't charge it up over lunch time, then it is useless for the afternoon. Mercedes : you are still way behind the competition ! (I'm commenting from Germany too).
With constant repeat”This interim period seems experimental at best, we need ground up decent range bev vans before it’s viable for trades, till then it’s still dirty diesel to do the hard work. But I’m looking forward to the day that they achieve it.
Great informed video Genuine question , I currently drive a tdi lwb Vauxhall vivaro and can drive upto 200 miles per day .yes I'd love a ev version .but when can we see better ranges for Van's. 100mpd and charge up at night is ok for some businesses. I wouldn't want to be stuck and gave to wait at an auto route in france to charge up 6 hours to drive home Great show
The new Vauxhall vivaro does 205 miles(*) and has 100kW fast charging, so a quick charge en-route or a slowish one whilst at a site should work well for quite a lot of people. The other PSA variants will presumably be similar. A lot more use than this e-Vito.
Manage your expectations carefully. The Lightyear One and Sono Motors Sion have solar panels on their roofs (and body, for the Sion) and they produce between 1kW and 2kW during daylight hours, corresponding to ~10 miles of range per day. That's certainly not nothing - if you only drive 30 miles a day, you get a third of your mileage for free - but it's only a supplement to regular charging, not a replacement. Though, I think what Andy and Robert were saying about a fold-out array for camping sounds like an excellent idea!
So Arrival finally realised what all 'legacy' van builders learnt years ago, forward control vans are death traps, and they have moved the drivers seat behind the front wheels.
I'm working on a E-Wing that can be ready in the next 4-5 years. I wiill have a proposal ready in the next 6 months mostly to Tesla or SpaceX in mind. Strategy is sound, once at altitude some engines become generators thus charging in flight. Like regenative braking but more effective. In landing mode it generates more power. Turn around lauch can be done in a few hours. You guys have seen, better cars, better rockets and better batteries from Elon in every 5 years. Why not better planes. My power systems can give many vans a range boost, especially on the high speed roads. The science is right and technology highly functional. A camper van can be made very long range with a bit of a good think. Cheers
While I love the Cybertruck, and have an order in for one, it will only work for some builders. You need a cab chassis so a purpose built tray can be built on the back to get the majority of the market. I hope they can do that.
@@morosis82 I’m sure they can fit a tipper tray into the load bay. A tipper trailer is a solution for hauling lumber and aggregates. 1300 nm of torque and 800 hp will get the job done whereas the Vito with 300nm and 118hp is virtually useless to most tradesmen. Maybe local flower deliveries. Being able to plug tools in is essential too
The Mercedes has a maximum 7kw charging rate? That is very poor. I love EV's and will never go back to ICE. Ive been driving a BMW i3 for 2 years now and if it only charged at 7kw max I would of sold it.
Worse, was no granny plug either. So in a super emergency, where you are stuck at Mr. Random person's driveway. Yes it would take 20 hours for FULL charge, but may only take 1 hours to get enough charge to drive to a 'real' charging location.
Indeed - both the charging and the range seemed very lacklustre for the price... shame, because the rest of the van seemed pretty nice (although surely they could have extended the 'long' version a bit more than 23cm in order to get a full-height 3m loading, rather than just 6" above the floor? :D)
I disagree. Our EV has 7kW charging, but also 60kWh battery. Anyway, it is full the next day. (and I have 300-400km range) For commercial use, it also doesn't matter if it has 7kW or 11kW charging. Both will not be fast enough to be taken over by the next follow-up shift. For that you need fast charging. Edit: Oh, and on the base model there is no fast charging. Ok that is indeed bad. The top model (not panel van, the one with windows and 100kWh) can charge at 110kW.
@@roland9367 From the sounds of it, you're talking about a personal EV, not a commercial van - which means you probably have the *option* to fast charge if you need it, even if you don't use it... conversely, these vans *don't have the option*, which means a business user could be stuck if they find they need to make an extra delivery at the end of the day, etc (it would have to wait till the morning, or find - and pay - someone else to deliver it if it can't wait)
@@logicalChimp Yeah I didnt see it doesn't come with fast charging. Together with only 35kWh, the use is very limited. The eVito Tourer has 100kWh and fast charging, it can be used for most applications.
Another good episode. More encouraging options coming. However ... those short ranges, no fast charge, early adopter tax, it's just not ready for real world commercial use. Let's hope it gets better.
@@WISERandHAPPIER Abso-bloody-lutely! That would be great! I agree that Manufacturers need to produce vans with better rage and faster charging. It is essential to helping a wider group of user to transition to EV!
So once all my vehicles go electric, I need 3 x 7kw chargers for my home.Just not possible. My van (my new Vivaro diesel, one of several hundred my company are about to receive in the next few weeks), my wife's car and my daughter's car all need charged. I'm not meaning to sound negative, honestly, I just can't see how this can work. Please help.
So did you not watch Robert, dig the trench for the three phase power into his house ? I think he explained the need in that video and the solutions he came up with. Solar + batteries + smart charging + v to g
They won't all need charging every night. Do all three of you drive 150miles every day? (4-5 tonnes emissions each every year). If so maybe you should move a bit closer to where you go - that sort of madness is not going to make sense in the low-carbon age. And a typical UK home can supply 2 7kW chargers so you can charge 2 at the same time at that speed if you need to. Just don't try to run the heat-pump, electric shower and kettle all at the same time as 2 EV chargers.
Yes... by a Chinese auto maker [whose name I have forgotten] who thought the Maxus was a brand worth having. But curiously the last days of MG Rover were not great , yet the reborn Chinese MG is getting a name for itself. Really looking forward to a Chinese company buying up the Triumph badge and making little convertibles.
Are we popping any solar on the roof of the van? Trouble is those great solar panels that are producing electricity during the sunlight hours are not going to have any vehicles connected... if they connect yo the grid and export the electricity from the solar PV generation then they are not going to get as many pennies as they'd like... they are going to have to have storage batteries of some sort or only make deliveries through the hours of darkness. I can see how popular the smart software market is going to rocket soon to try to optimise these profits...
There is still the economics of diesel being so much more energy dense. Why would you have long hauls with an EV truck when the diesel takes you further for greater cargo weight. It may take some time for a battery to reach the needed density.
The manufacturers are missing a key point, having a 7.5kw/h charger....it is just madness! "where`s my package mate?" - "och aye lad, we`ll be a wee bit longer, we just gotta wait 6 hours for the van tae charge, so we`ll see yea tomorrow mate!"... I understand that they want to keep the price down, but they are setting themselves up for people just to go else where for a van with a 50kw/h charger, and a few hundred pound difference, more so when we already have the rapid 150kw/h chargers....
Why aren't they sticking solar on these new vans ? Wasted space on a massive roof should fit a fair few watts of solar and surely that will extend the range, maybe even self contained if the technology of the panels gets better...?
i've got the tourer version of the 2019 Vito, i really hope the consumer (i.e not van) version of the e-Vito comes with a much better infotainment system and a reversing camera. visibility is dogshit in the thing, and the infotainment is utterly wank.
Sorry, Robert but how you describe V2G here would not work! You cant charge off solar at night and the feed-in tariff currently is rubbish so you could end up paying more at night to fill them up. ( unless you have extra battery storage at the depo which defeats the object) Also as far as I know CCS/Type 2 in all current vehicles doesn't support V2G with only the lesser-used Chadamo having the feature. I can see it working in some situations where the vehicles are plugged in when not being used during the day but with vans and most people's personal vehicles it won't work sadly. This may change when feed-in tariffs are improved and the charging ports are updated with V2G support.
Several thoughts. Firstly, feed-in tariffs are not how you make money. You make money by arrangements with your electricity supplier/DNO to smooth out supply and demand. The financial models for this don't yet really exist - that's one of the things V2G trials are for. Once the technology is better accepted, the DNOs and National Grid will pay customers for 'grid services', such as load shifting. Discharge over the evening, when the demand is highest, charge overnight, when the demand is lowest. You can already get time-of-use rates or Economy 7 meters to get cheaper electricity overnight. There's no solar overnight, yes. But there is wind overnight and demand is at its lowest. If you were expecting to charge on 100% renewables overnight (which Robert seems keen to), you've still got a few years to wait. But, it's as green and as cheap as the grid will ever get, so we should aim to use it. CCS V2G is coming. When... tough call. CharIN (the consortium that manage CCS) say 2025, but automakers and EVSE suppliers seem keen to start building and selling stuff this year. I wouldn't be surprised if Arrival are producing vans that are CCS V2G-ready by the end of the year, pending a software update to finalise the comms protocols. The same protocols will also enable AC V2G through type 2 connectors, although Renault appear to be the only automakers who've made an AC bidirectional onboard charger. V2G is going to happen. Maybe not this year, maybe not for another half a decade or more, but eventually, as the grid shifts to renewables, the grid companies will be desperate enough for storage and supply-side management that they'll make it work. Even if just 1% of vehicles plug into bidirectional chargers and make 20% of their battery available, that will shave off the evening demand peak and then some. It's just a matter of time, technology and economics...
I thought this Vito is a little underpowered for range and charging speed. Surely 150 miles range and rapid charging are basic standards now? This Vito is disappointing by mercedes standards, does anyone else think this?
Don't be too hard on this van. A plumber/electrician is going to fit a false floor and have all the 3m pipes and conduit underneath it, running under the seats. If you can't find enough work with 45 minutes of where you live perhaps it is time to ask yourself if you are really cut out to be a plumber/electrician.....
Most plumbing work is in winter, your battery range can be halved. Dont believe me? Try using an ev with a small battery and the heater of full and pre conditioning/climatise the vehicle before each trip (if you have it) I get half the range in winter unless I turn off everything. Then I may push 60% battery.
I think they would save tons of cash by having batteries in their garages that use solar and charge in the off hours. Future generations will have removable batteries that you can drive up the batteries are automatically swapped and the old battery charged again.
Nice review about what they are bringing to market but is it what we want? I think we are missing an opportunity here to influence manufacturing to prioritise what a van driver needs. For example, Security. Tools being stolen and vans being peeled open is happening every day. Please review van security. Parking. Visibility when reversing or manoeuvrability around a building site. Please reverse park these vans and review that. Range. My van will have ladders strapped on the roof. What happens to range if your carrying ladders or pipe tubes? Connectability. I am invoicing my customers from the cab. My cab is my office. Please review the cab like an office space, not just cup holders. For delivery drivers they need speed of movement from the cab to the front door and back. Try it. Jump out, run around the van then back in, seat belt back on. Was that easy? Its time to give the manufacturer real work feedback. Keep up the great videos. Love it!
Nice to see electric vans starting to make an appearance from a range of established manufacturers. But, it does seem to just be a token gesture. An electric car with 80-100 miles range was the norm 10 years ago when battery packs were much more expensive and no CCS rapid charging from Mercedes is disappointing to see - even AC charging is limited to 7kW. I hope the newcomers such as Arrival and Rivian show traditional van manufacturers how it's supposed to be done.
Just to make you aware, driving a van in the UK means you should be doing 50mph maximum on any national speed limit roads, a motorway is the only place you can do 60.
This must depend on the vehicle. My Expert is allowed to do 70 on motorways. Yes. here's the rule: "For built-up areas and motorways, vans should follow the same speed limit as cars. But on single and dual carriageways, the speed limit is 10mph lower than the speed limit for cars."
LIKE if you think all vans should be electric and SHARE if you're excited about electric vehicles.
In this episode Andy looks at what's on the horizon for electric vans, both in the short and medium term, but also what advancements we might see in the future.
Andy talks to van expert, Paul Kirby, to find out more about the influx of electric vans we can expect to see come to market over the next year including the impressive Mercedes eVito. The eVito is smooth to drive and delivers the luxury you would expect from Mercedes and, while the price reflects this, there are many grants available to make this more affordable.
He also sneaks a visit to the ARRIVAL workshop to speak with a special guest (spoiler - it's Robert) about the innovative design of ARRIVAL's delivery vans and how viable commercial electric vans could be if you add in vehicle-to-grid charging and solar energy.
What feels certain is that the next generation of vans must, and will, be electric.
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Timestamps:
0:00 Future of electric vans
1:06 Paul's predictions
1:18 Vauxhall, Peugeot, Toyota
1:41 Renault Zoe van
1:50 Maxus e Deliver 3 & 9
2:08 Loads of vans coming
2:21Arrival workshop
2:41 Ground-up design
4:23 Rivian's vans for Amazon
4:46 Mercedes eVito
5:31 eVito - 2 lengths
6:28 Range stats
7:07 V2G benefits for vans
8:36 Solar savings
9:21 Quick to fix
10:26 Arrival's latest design
10:44 Smooth drive
11:37 Let's talk money
11:55 Grants & incentives
12:48 Charging
13:52 Standard vs Progressive
15:25 Not as much poke!
16:58 Some downsides
17:19 Campervan dreaming
17:51 Subscribe, support, join
My first thought was 'Camper van conversion.'
100 miles!??? Is that enough, especially in winter?
I think that the lack of flexibility of the Vito with low range and low charge rate will be a terminal limitation for this one. My guess is that it is an interim offering only
Yes, and not forgetting the eye watering price.
Nearly all these vans are 'what can we fit in the existing shell, without spending much money' designs so they are all compromised. Skateboard-based vans have a lot more potential in the medium term. The passenger version of this van (EQV) has a decent battery (98kWh) so one will physically fit. They've just decided that no van owner wants to pay for it.
@@Wookey. As you said, their research probably showed that keeping the price down was more important than getting the range up. They'd probably figured that there's a decent proportion of vans that do less than 100km/day (2/3 of rated range), so why not aim for those?
I think the stake of the vans that does sub 100km/day or even sub 50km/day will be staggering.
The V-Class which looks quite similar to the Vito has 100kWh battery and fast charging capability. I wonder why they didn't offer it on this.
@@ndc5544p It is very annoying that it's not even an option. They've developed the tech so why not let people choose it? It would be the best van available for camper use with these options. Bloody expensive of course, but then campers are. I guess they just don't think they'll sell enough.
I have to admit, I skipped the first episode (and maybe the 2nd) then I started with this one, stopped and went back to watch from one till now. It is very well done and I think Andy does a fantastic job explaining all the different models for different customers, he makes it sound so easy and just wanted to let you guys know.
Well done Andy and FC!!
That UPS van would make a fantastic motorhome if technology could get the range up to 200+ miles.
Totally agree -a great 'escape van'!
How about adding some Tesla batteries to it to get the range up?
I'm thinking this is the kind of thing EV West will do as soon as they can get their hands on one.
2000 miles would be good .
Not going to happen unless you have the money for an expensive purchase and the upgrade of the battery..the DIY camper market is over with EVs.
In 2030 there will be longer range vans, but commercial vehicles don't do the mileage.. and if you do the miles and long deliveries then it will be a hybrid like the London Taxi variant.
The DIY camper van is a little spin off of the last 50 years and sadly over..sure you will be able, but it will be like buying and ex 4x4 military or utility van...expensive and rare.
You could convert a classic camper or custom camper- and no doubt the very expensive retirement coach built camper vans will be on sale.
A Zoe and tent or Air BnB is the reality.
@@julesdingle There's always someone convinced they know better than everyone else...
@@snowstrobe just my opinion [and wisdom] seriously I think we have come to the end of an age... I would be interested to hear why you think differently. And BTW, a big change will be longevity..EV last, in the past /present a diesel is sold on to the 2nd hand market when it gets too expensive to maintain- about 130-160k mileage- EVs will do half a million miles..there will not be the vehicles for the DIY market- but what do you think?
When I first saw you were going to do 5 episodes on electric vans, I thought BORING! You are on number 3 now, and I am finding the episodes fascinating. Thank you for this series on vans.
Wonderful feedback. Thank you
+1 for arrival to make a camper van.
Thanks for clearing up the 3 meter back storage measurements, my sons business they have to transport 3m long Gymnastic crash mats, which when standing will not fit at all.
BUGGER!
Who edited this episode? This is weirdly cut up to the point of being difficult to follow.
And boring too...
Yeah I also missed the guiding thread on this one.
Agreed, was really strange
I'm so looking forward to Andy's review of the first electric campervan.
You joke about renewable EV van retirement by the seaside... but THAT IS the dream 💭🤩
Now if these companies can make something with valid range and efficiency... not just compliance vehicles to make the legacy ICE fleet look more attractive.
Welcome to the Future everyone.. Sci-fi is now just "Sci"
It's all about the campervan for me, needs range plus with the weightand being able to throttle charging to campsite power and/or solar + fast charge. I'll do 3/4 hour drives in my vw t4 regularly when travelling.
i want a cheap electric version of the ford transit that isnt flashy and has a solar panel roof.
I am really looking forward to the Arrival vans coming onto the second hand market. Love them. Think I will have a long wait though...
What about solar panels on the roof of the Vans (like the sion)?
Great mini-series!! More please :)
hopefully as EV take over the delivery segment it will further push the consumer side.
Robert really is a believer. Don't worry Bobby, Diesel vans will be around for a long time yet. Diesels are still more suitable for irregular distances (think the useage profile of a tradesman) and indeed people doing big daily mileages. City vans, and anything fixed route, then absolutely electric can makes sens, the arrival and rivian vans are very impressive for this; but this idea that they will resoundly replace diesel even in the next 20 years or so is unlikely.
I was thinking about someone I had in to do some work, part way through the day he had to go and pick up some materials 60 miles away. If it was winter, and he was on 2/3 of a charge after reaching me, then had to do that trip, he's not going to want to stop for an hour to charge the van up... Time is money and it doesn't make sense. Forward planning reduces opportunity and what if he has to turn down a job because his van can't make the trip without an hour stop, and that makes him uncompetitive? For the privaledge of this his van is more expensive.... Until range/fill-up times are as irrelevant as an ICE vehicle it won't happen.
I do believe that diesel will exist for a small niche of companies that do need the long range for now, but companies are very focused on the total cost of ownership and reliability. And then electric vans make much more sense. And as long as you don't need to drive further than the max range in one go then it's more convenient because you "fill up" at your parking spot while hardly having to do anything. Then you don't need a fast charge because it's gonna sit there for hours anyway. That 7 kilowatt charge was indeed slow and in the occasion you need a higher speed it's certainly too slow, but Tesla has proven that there is a lot that can be improved if need be.
I just think that the current offering would already be an improvement for 50% of the market and as the EV vans improve, that will grow to 90-100% of the market.
@@timojissink4715 'as long as you don't need to drive further than the max range', this is absolutely key. Even at double the current range, I think that excludes most of the market. We really need to get to 400mile range before range isn't an issue for widespread adoption.
Payload is also an issue, and as electric vans are so much heavier it reduces the available load, so for a standard size transit/vito etc you have less loading capacity than a diesel. I'm all for the right technology for the application, but there needs to be a couple of giant leaps in battery technology before we reach the promised land.
The most ambitious projections put adoption of electric passenger cars at 50% of the market in the next decade, perhaps this is realistic in the UK - For delivery and other vans in cities I could see widespread adoption, and that probably can't come soon enough, but I don't think diesels will be niche for a long, long time; there are just too many drawbacks of EV still. As for here today in 2021, I think an electric van might be suitable for 10% of the market at the most nationwide.
@@adogmcdizzle I guess that really differs per country, I look from the perspective of the Netherlands and you probably the US where I've heard 10 hour trips are not uncommon XD
The longest dive I've made that's not a vacation is 2 hours for example.
Just what I was thinking, the coolest eco-camper...🤩
Yes, campervan dreaming is also the only reason I am looking at all these electric vans. Now, just wait a few years before they are coming out of the lease and are sold.
I must say, not this basic eVito, but the eVito tourer with 100kWh could be very good for this.
Glad you mentioned turning these into camper vans. That’s why I’m interested in the van videos.
I‘m missing the miles to km calculation folks.
As a „normal“ European one uses the metrical system. No inch, no miles no barrels. It’s liters, km and meter! Guys please add that. It’s not only british people watching
;)
I assume the eVito can be kitted up to be an eight seater. Could be a good shuttle bus (from the train station to the office) for a mid-size company.
That variant is the EQV. It's not cheap.
In the US we're anticipating the VW ID Buzz EV van
What about rear view camera, parking radar and such? Did I just miss that part? Seems pretty vital when talking about transporting small cargo.
Would love to see some comment on the issue of supply points /chargers. And the hazards around them and the supply network.
Great shows 👌
You should tell them that you can't charge at fastchargers, with the Vito.
Only at AC charge points and on building sites 3 fase!
Arrival should make one or two concept campervans and show them at the caravan salon in Düsseldorf.. I am pretty sure lots of people (and converters) will certainly be interested.
It may be less interesting than the cars, but these are so much more important. We should be moving towards public transport. But in cases like this vans will always be just as needed.
Great looking UPS delivery van from Arrival.
The Rivian van for Amazon is not as attractive.
Agreed, I do not like Rivian's design language.
I don't know what it is, but I love the look of that Arrival van... though not taken with what could be seen of the new design.
And what is in that massive space in the front of the e-vito?
A crash absorbing cell, and that's why they had to change the Arrival van.
Might have start running the vans. From 15:00 to midnight and then charge in the morning during the solar spike, minimize the need for large grid battery storage facilities.
Brilliant and interesting as usual.
the lack of fast charging is a head scratcher, if you are in a logisics depot, the speed would be useful (charge while you load) and if you are doing long runs its more or less essential. perhaps you could interview someone to understand why its a challenge.. is it battery tech? software or simply more copper and kit for the inverters etc. ??
The longest Post route in the UK is .....78 miles in the Highlands.. delivery vehicles simply do not do the mileage.. and range is weight, and think about it- say you have 20-50 delivery vehicles in your depot..with there own 7 kWh charger you don't need to buy a lot of expensive wall chargers, and have expensive upgrade of your 3 phase supply.
Slightly confused, most commercial and industrial units/depots default supplies are 3 phase in the UK.
@@effervescence5664 and you would be able to charge 3 vehicles off each of the supply.
A small business with 300 amps of usable supply could then charge 3-6 vehicles safely at night without the need for expensive fast chargers [DC transformers] which would only to able to charge as many vehicles as the ampage would allow.
@@julesdingle there are other businesses than post offices though... if you are say maintaining alarm systems or lifts, having 2 calls in a day that are 100 miles apart is totally likely. and even if you only have a 7kw supply at the depot.. then so what, you dont have to match the supply to the max capacity of the van. but it means you could in the future.
@@mralistair737 I agree, but evidently the legacy automakers are going for the fleet market for deliveries particularly in cities. These are the biggest purchasers buying 1000s of vans at a time.
A break down in sales determines that most are short deliveries, with the next lot being longer 250 mile plus a day- which Transit hybrid and the London Taxi variant seem to be going for.
It is economic driven- city vehicles guzzle diesel and are getting pollution taxed, the mid range van deliveries with diesel on the motorway and electric in cities being the best option for now.
I think in the coming decade with battery density improvements there will be jump to all BEV, and possibly hydrogen BEV.
The options appear to be decided on a spreadsheet.
Much like yourself. I looked at this and thought camper van, from which I could work. Is there much change of Arrival exploring this?
FANTASTIC VIDEO
Electric vAAn! Loving the accent and Vids
That’s why I’m interested in vans. I’m the same as Andy, I want something i can live in.
All I am waiting for is an Electric Van ideal for conversions...
And solar panels that can produce 10x the energy (prob impossible) so I can be fully off-grid...
Same... and that Arrival has potential.
@@snowstrobe Yeah, just depends on the price I guess... but it could be great... that space and lack of "regular car stuff...". Huge potential.
given the talk of campervans, the one area not really covered yet is EV enabled caravans. There must be a way of adding batteries to caravans to extend the range of the car / van combo. You could then use the caravan when not in use as semi permanent V2G, or V2H especially with solar panels in the roof of the van. One of the caravan's axels can be for regen, but not power, to increase range further.
EV HGV's
When UPS drivers come back at the end of the day, they have to maneuver their way through the facility to a parking spot. This can sometimes lead to hits with other vehicles hence why they have cheap simple metal bumpers on the front and rear that can take a slight hit and spring back. I just hope they consider there are vehicles crashes every day in each district from. Class 3 (intersection crash), to class 1 (side swipe or little bump into mailbox). The way they're currently designed allows mechanics to easily replace and fix any broken parts.
12:48 Charging - you do realise if your driver is at a public vend, the location of the chargeport (mid-way behind door) will be really awkward if not impossible unless you park at an acute angle to get the charging lead to engage! Unless there is a really long charging cable. And parking parallel usually stops others from using the other public vends.
Well that is just compliance van for mb...
Is there a panel van available yet that has the fast charging capability that might make it viable as a stealth camper?
Vauxhaul/Opel Vivaro-e. 75kWh, 205 mile (nominal) range, 100kW DC charging. Deliveries are just starting, I understand, so it is just about available.
@@Wookey. thanks!
0:45 Magic Roundabout, Hemel Hempstead!
Thought i recognised the vanarama building
Ah thank you - I was wondering where that weird 'keep right of the keep-left sign' layout was.
Enjoying these - show us the boxer/relay/ducato when out too please.
Cant wait for Andy to test the Nikola truck... sic :P
Andy is brilliant! Great show, folks!
Are you going to,cover the new EV600 van GM announced through their Brightdrop subsidiary?
The l3 looks like it fits 8 by 4 sheets stood on edge right up to the top of the bulk head. If this is true then this is a real usp for this size of van. If you could check this for the van reviews it would be more beneficial for the review
The slow charge rate could be deciding factor. I imagine a quick charging van could be topped up during a break or lunchtime. But at a 7kw charge rate, you would hardly get any juice into it.
We need to see a range reduction by loaded weight test. So many think that van range drops by 50% if you load them up, but its just not true. There was one, possibly fake, test done a few years ago that stranegly found the range drops by 50%.
Yes but range does drop more than wanted.
eVito = tungsten day time running lights? And no rapid charging? Shame on Merc
At last someone who's interested in an EV Campervan!
Lack of rapid charge is going to limit sales, I think.
Most of your content so far has talked about either self employed or big fleets that return to a business location over night. Can you cover fleets of vans that go home with the driver that will presumably require charging points installing at employees homes?
I did speak to a Openreach engineer about this as they have begun using EV's, he didn't know the details. but seemed to think there was some payment to the engineers involved. It did strike me there was some balance between having the van to drive home in, and cost of charging it up, assuming the charging costs where quite low.
The number of different all electric vehicles coming out this year keeps expanding.
2021 may be the tipping point.
Is there much point in getting an electric van, if you can only charge on one pin of the 3-Phase Type-2 AC plug, and not even on a DC charger? My answer would be *No* . If I can't charge it up over lunch time, then it is useless for the afternoon. Mercedes : you are still way behind the competition ! (I'm commenting from Germany too).
The vivaro is the only van that makes sense atm, and we were looking at getting an EV car, but seriously tempted by it ...
1:42 Surely that clip is of the existing Zoe hatchback? That can't be a van.
They have made the Zoe as a Van. It is basically the car without the back seats and a few additional bits to make it Van like
@@paulkirby2958 Wow. I like that idea, but calling it a van seems like a bit of a stretch.
With constant repeat”This interim period seems experimental at best, we need ground up decent range bev vans before it’s viable for trades, till then it’s still dirty diesel to do the hard work. But I’m looking forward to the day that they achieve it.
I love this series but the opening credits with the ride down to Hemel Hempstead roundabout brings back bad memories of doing of driving lessons 😂
Oh sorry! I had mine around Swindon and the “Magic Roundabout”. Never been back.
@@fullychargedshow I too suffered the Magic Roundabout with my driving test and lessons - I assume I passed because I've blocked it out of my memory!
I literally don't buy a vehicle unless o cam sleep, cook and make a brew in the back 😄
Great informed video
Genuine question , I currently drive a tdi lwb Vauxhall vivaro and can drive upto 200 miles per day .yes I'd love a ev version .but when can we see better ranges for Van's. 100mpd and charge up at night is ok for some businesses. I wouldn't want to be stuck and gave to wait at an auto route in france to charge up 6 hours to drive home
Great show
Look at the PSA Group vans; they offer a 75 kWh version.
The new Vauxhall vivaro does 205 miles(*) and has 100kW fast charging, so a quick charge en-route or a slowish one whilst at a site should work well for quite a lot of people. The other PSA variants will presumably be similar. A lot more use than this e-Vito.
Cannot wait for the EV RV episode !
Us too
Mercedes dealerships used to loose as many vans to rust as they’d sell.
I like the Arrival the most. I hope in future solar panels on these are a standard.
Manage your expectations carefully. The Lightyear One and Sono Motors Sion have solar panels on their roofs (and body, for the Sion) and they produce between 1kW and 2kW during daylight hours, corresponding to ~10 miles of range per day. That's certainly not nothing - if you only drive 30 miles a day, you get a third of your mileage for free - but it's only a supplement to regular charging, not a replacement. Though, I think what Andy and Robert were saying about a fold-out array for camping sounds like an excellent idea!
@@gigabyte2248 I am not hoping for a replacement but something to compliment a regular power supply.
When’s the eVito Taxi coming out with 200 mile range and fast charging?
It's already available. It's called the Vauxhall Vivaro-e with the 75 kWh battery.
I'm banking on arrival long term. Hopefully they do well
So Arrival finally realised what all 'legacy' van builders learnt years ago, forward control vans are death traps, and they have moved the drivers seat behind the front wheels.
I'm working on a
E-Wing that can be ready in the next 4-5 years. I wiill have a proposal ready in the next 6 months mostly to Tesla or SpaceX in mind.
Strategy is sound, once at altitude some engines become generators thus charging in flight.
Like regenative braking but more effective. In landing mode it generates more power. Turn around lauch can be done in a few hours.
You guys have seen, better cars, better rockets and better batteries from Elon in every 5 years. Why not better planes.
My power systems can give many vans a range boost, especially on the high speed roads.
The science is right and technology highly functional.
A camper van can be made very long range with a bit of a good think. Cheers
Cyber truck has the right specs for builders. Load and towing capacity and bulletproof - End of.
While I love the Cybertruck, and have an order in for one, it will only work for some builders. You need a cab chassis so a purpose built tray can be built on the back to get the majority of the market. I hope they can do that.
@@morosis82 I’m sure they can fit a tipper tray into the load bay. A tipper trailer is a solution for hauling lumber and aggregates. 1300 nm of torque and 800 hp will get the job done whereas the Vito with 300nm and 118hp is virtually useless to most tradesmen. Maybe local flower deliveries. Being able to plug tools in is essential too
The Mercedes has a maximum 7kw charging rate?
That is very poor.
I love EV's and will never go back to ICE. Ive been driving a BMW i3 for 2 years now and if it only charged at 7kw max I would of sold it.
Worse, was no granny plug either.
So in a super emergency, where you are stuck at Mr. Random person's driveway. Yes it would take 20 hours for FULL charge, but may only take 1 hours to get enough charge to drive to a 'real' charging location.
Indeed - both the charging and the range seemed very lacklustre for the price... shame, because the rest of the van seemed pretty nice (although surely they could have extended the 'long' version a bit more than 23cm in order to get a full-height 3m loading, rather than just 6" above the floor? :D)
I disagree. Our EV has 7kW charging, but also 60kWh battery. Anyway, it is full the next day. (and I have 300-400km range)
For commercial use, it also doesn't matter if it has 7kW or 11kW charging. Both will not be fast enough to be taken over by the next follow-up shift. For that you need fast charging.
Edit: Oh, and on the base model there is no fast charging. Ok that is indeed bad. The top model (not panel van, the one with windows and 100kWh) can charge at 110kW.
@@roland9367 From the sounds of it, you're talking about a personal EV, not a commercial van - which means you probably have the *option* to fast charge if you need it, even if you don't use it...
conversely, these vans *don't have the option*, which means a business user could be stuck if they find they need to make an extra delivery at the end of the day, etc (it would have to wait till the morning, or find - and pay - someone else to deliver it if it can't wait)
@@logicalChimp Yeah I didnt see it doesn't come with fast charging. Together with only 35kWh, the use is very limited. The eVito Tourer has 100kWh and fast charging, it can be used for most applications.
Ooh aaaaaahhhhhh lovely🤣🤣🤣
I'm looking, for a surf van....chop chop!
Another good episode. More encouraging options coming. However ... those short ranges, no fast charge, early adopter tax, it's just not ready for real world commercial use. Let's hope it gets better.
No electric trailer yet on your radar, Fully Charged?
If you cross the rivian van and the new arrival one it does start to look a lot like postman pat's van....
Not good that these vans take so long to charge. My mates who are tradies are saying they will be sticking with diesel.
There are quicker ones now available with up to 80kw DC charging on some models and a few just over 50kw
@@paulkirby2958Tesla need to start making vans.
@@WISERandHAPPIER Abso-bloody-lutely! That would be great! I agree that Manufacturers need to produce vans with better rage and faster charging. It is essential to helping a wider group of user to transition to EV!
This video didn't make the Mercedes look too good.
Merc not having a higher rated charger is pretty stupid... 7KW charger???
It finally paid off to watch Taggart 😂😉
So once all my vehicles go electric, I need 3 x 7kw chargers for my home.Just not possible. My van (my new Vivaro diesel, one of several hundred my company are about to receive in the next few weeks), my wife's car and my daughter's car all need charged. I'm not meaning to sound negative, honestly, I just can't see how this can work. Please help.
do you all go to the petrol station at the same time?
@@flysurfer108 no. Thanks for the help in clarifying the potential problem though. I will work one day in 3. I’m sure that will be acceptable.
So did you not watch Robert, dig the trench for the three phase power into his house ? I think he explained the need in that video and the solutions he came up with. Solar + batteries + smart charging + v to g
@@francesconicoletti2547 no, I’ve not seen it. And I assume that the 3ph supply is not fed by his solar and non fossil fuel electric?
They won't all need charging every night. Do all three of you drive 150miles every day? (4-5 tonnes emissions each every year). If so maybe you should move a bit closer to where you go - that sort of madness is not going to make sense in the low-carbon age. And a typical UK home can supply 2 7kW chargers so you can charge 2 at the same time at that speed if you need to. Just don't try to run the heat-pump, electric shower and kettle all at the same time as 2 EV chargers.
I can wait to see Cadillac escalade electric
I think you post this every single time... are you on their pay?
Is LDV still a company? was the Maxus name bought by another company?
Yes... by a Chinese auto maker [whose name I have forgotten] who thought the Maxus was a brand worth having. But curiously the last days of MG Rover were not great , yet the reborn Chinese MG is getting a name for itself. Really looking forward to a Chinese company buying up the Triumph badge and making little convertibles.
@@julesdingle Electric MG Metro :)
Are we popping any solar on the roof of the van? Trouble is those great solar panels that are producing electricity during the sunlight hours are not going to have any vehicles connected... if they connect yo the grid and export the electricity from the solar PV generation then they are not going to get as many pennies as they'd like... they are going to have to have storage batteries of some sort or only make deliveries through the hours of darkness. I can see how popular the smart software market is going to rocket soon to try to optimise these profits...
There is still the economics of diesel being so much more energy dense. Why would you have long hauls with an EV truck when the diesel takes you further for greater cargo weight. It may take some time for a battery to reach the needed density.
The manufacturers are missing a key point, having a 7.5kw/h charger....it is just madness!
"where`s my package mate?" - "och aye lad, we`ll be a wee bit longer, we just gotta wait 6 hours for the van tae charge, so we`ll see yea tomorrow mate!"...
I understand that they want to keep the price down, but they are setting themselves up for people just to go else where for a van with a 50kw/h charger, and a few hundred pound difference, more so when we already have the rapid 150kw/h chargers....
My current plan is a used 300,000+ mile Tesla, with six sheets of lightweight ply and I will build my own EV camper. Job done. . .
😂With six sheets of ply you could make it look like the Tesla pickup with wire mesh instead of glass ..
Why aren't they sticking solar on these new vans ? Wasted space on a massive roof should fit a fair few watts of solar and surely that will extend the range, maybe even self contained if the technology of the panels gets better...?
i've got the tourer version of the 2019 Vito, i really hope the consumer (i.e not van) version of the e-Vito comes with a much better infotainment system and a reversing camera. visibility is dogshit in the thing, and the infotainment is utterly wank.
Agree and I love your words!
Sorry, Robert but how you describe V2G here would not work! You cant charge off solar at night and the feed-in tariff currently is rubbish so you could end up paying more at night to fill them up. ( unless you have extra battery storage at the depo which defeats the object) Also as far as I know CCS/Type 2 in all current vehicles doesn't support V2G with only the lesser-used Chadamo having the feature. I can see it working in some situations where the vehicles are plugged in when not being used during the day but with vans and most people's personal vehicles it won't work sadly. This may change when feed-in tariffs are improved and the charging ports are updated with V2G support.
Several thoughts. Firstly, feed-in tariffs are not how you make money. You make money by arrangements with your electricity supplier/DNO to smooth out supply and demand. The financial models for this don't yet really exist - that's one of the things V2G trials are for. Once the technology is better accepted, the DNOs and National Grid will pay customers for 'grid services', such as load shifting. Discharge over the evening, when the demand is highest, charge overnight, when the demand is lowest. You can already get time-of-use rates or Economy 7 meters to get cheaper electricity overnight.
There's no solar overnight, yes. But there is wind overnight and demand is at its lowest. If you were expecting to charge on 100% renewables overnight (which Robert seems keen to), you've still got a few years to wait. But, it's as green and as cheap as the grid will ever get, so we should aim to use it.
CCS V2G is coming. When... tough call. CharIN (the consortium that manage CCS) say 2025, but automakers and EVSE suppliers seem keen to start building and selling stuff this year. I wouldn't be surprised if Arrival are producing vans that are CCS V2G-ready by the end of the year, pending a software update to finalise the comms protocols. The same protocols will also enable AC V2G through type 2 connectors, although Renault appear to be the only automakers who've made an AC bidirectional onboard charger.
V2G is going to happen. Maybe not this year, maybe not for another half a decade or more, but eventually, as the grid shifts to renewables, the grid companies will be desperate enough for storage and supply-side management that they'll make it work. Even if just 1% of vehicles plug into bidirectional chargers and make 20% of their battery available, that will shave off the evening demand peak and then some. It's just a matter of time, technology and economics...
I thought this Vito is a little underpowered for range and charging speed. Surely 150 miles range and rapid charging are basic standards now? This Vito is disappointing by mercedes standards, does anyone else think this?
Compliance van for mb...
At 13:26 Andy does a ‘thing’ that is a stupid feature of the evito.
Don't be too hard on this van. A plumber/electrician is going to fit a false floor and have all the 3m pipes and conduit underneath it, running under the seats. If you can't find enough work with 45 minutes of where you live perhaps it is time to ask yourself if you are really cut out to be a plumber/electrician.....
Most plumbing work is in winter, your battery range can be halved.
Dont believe me? Try using an ev with a small battery and the heater of full and pre conditioning/climatise the vehicle before each trip (if you have it)
I get half the range in winter unless I turn off everything.
Then I may push 60% battery.
I think they would save tons of cash by having batteries in their garages that use solar and charge in the off hours.
Future generations will have removable batteries that you can drive up the batteries are automatically swapped and the old battery charged again.
Nice review about what they are bringing to market but is it what we want? I think we are missing an opportunity here to influence manufacturing to prioritise what a van driver needs. For example, Security. Tools being stolen and vans being peeled open is happening every day. Please review van security. Parking. Visibility when reversing or manoeuvrability around a building site. Please reverse park these vans and review that. Range. My van will have ladders strapped on the roof. What happens to range if your carrying ladders or pipe tubes? Connectability. I am invoicing my customers from the cab. My cab is my office. Please review the cab like an office space, not just cup holders. For delivery drivers they need speed of movement from the cab to the front door and back. Try it. Jump out, run around the van then back in, seat belt back on. Was that easy? Its time to give the manufacturer real work feedback. Keep up the great videos. Love it!
Nice to see electric vans starting to make an appearance from a range of established manufacturers. But, it does seem to just be a token gesture. An electric car with 80-100 miles range was the norm 10 years ago when battery packs were much more expensive and no CCS rapid charging from Mercedes is disappointing to see - even AC charging is limited to 7kW. I hope the newcomers such as Arrival and Rivian show traditional van manufacturers how it's supposed to be done.
imagine a FULLY LOADED van with on-site plumbing tools and materials. Those ranges explained in this video are extremely low
Just to make you aware, driving a van in the UK means you should be doing 50mph maximum on any national speed limit roads, a motorway is the only place you can do 60.
Wrong. The speed limits for goods vehicles under 7.5t are 50 mph, for single carriage way, 60 mph, for dual carriage way, and 70 mph for motorways.
@@alancfoster2000 not according to the speed awareness course I went on the other month. But I'll pass on testing it.
@@Alsmithize haha, I'll carry on as I am, they are limits after all, not targets, while I'm under what you say I won't find out I'm not right 👍
This must depend on the vehicle. My Expert is allowed to do 70 on motorways. Yes. here's the rule: "For built-up areas and motorways, vans should follow the same speed limit as cars. But on single and dual carriageways, the speed limit is 10mph lower than the speed limit for cars."
Towing?