Electrification in the automobile industry does not extend just to hatchbacks and pickups, but to commercial vehicles as well. The electric van segment especially got a lot of attention after Amazon invested more than $440 million in Rivian, with Ford having invested nearly $1.2 billion in the company, too, despite having planned an E-Transit.
Given that the average delivery van covers less than 160 miles a day, which is well within current battery technologies, fleet operators and e-commerce majors will seriously consider transitioning to electric vans in the near future, and here are some options.
Ford E-Transit
The E-Transit electric van is built alongside the ICE model at the Kansas plant. Image – Ford
On February 8, 2022, Ford started shipping the E-Transit electric van to customers from its Kansas City Assembly Plant. Kansas City is Ford’s first US plant to assemble both batteries and all-electric vehicles in-house. The company has invested $100 million in this factory to manufacture the E-Transit there. It has already received 10,000 orders for the new electric van.
Available in various configurations (three roof heights, three lengths, and as cargo, chassis, and cutaway), the E-Transit uses a 68 kWh lithium-ion battery and a single permanent-magnet motor rated at 198 kW (266 hp). It can travel up to 126 miles on a full charge in its cargo van low-roof model. Prices start at $43,292 excluding destination.
Rivian Amazon Prime Van
While initially the EDVs borrow a dual motor but FWD layout from the R1T, future models would be available with a single motor too. Image – Rivian
10,000 units of the Rivian Amazon Prime electric van, called Rivian EDV, should hit the roads by the end of this year, as part of Amazon’s 100,000 unit order (to be fulfilled by 2030). The Amazon electric van is built on the R1’s skateboard chassis, albeit at a lower cost (using a lot of steel). There are three versions of the Rivian EDV: Rivian EDV 500, Rivian EDV 700, and Rivian EDV 900, named as per their respective load capacities. According to a report from autoblog, it will be available in single-motor FWD, dual-motor FWD, and dual-motor AWD configurations.
In an SEC filing on October 1, 2021, Rivian had revealed the following specifications of the EDV:
AspectSpecificationEDV 500EDV 700EDV 900Length248 in.277 in.321 in.Wheelbase157 in.187 in.205 in.Cargo Space500 cu. ft.660 cu. ft.840 cu. ft.GVWR9,350 lbs.9,350 lbs.14,000 lbs.RangeUp to 150 milesUp to 150 milesUp to 120 miles
Source: SEC
BrightDrop EV600 and EV410
The EV600 electric van is the fastest built vehicle in GM’s history to go from concept to commercialization, thanks to the common Ultium platform. Image – GM
GM-owned BrightDrop commenced deliveries of its first electric van, the BrightDrop EV600, to logistics expert FedEx on December 17, 2021. The company offers a smaller model called BrightDrop EV410, too. On January 1, 2022, it announced that Walmart has signed an agreement to reserve 5,000 units of the EV600 and EV410 electric vans. In its Q4 2021 earnings conference call, GM said that it has received more than 25,000 reservations for BrightDrop cargo vans. In addition to FedEx, Verizon, Merchants Fleet, and Walmart are adopting these EVs.
The EV600 and EV410 ride on a dedicated EV architecture while making use of GM’s Ultium battery technology and drive technology (the same technology found on its passenger vehicles). The larger EV600 packs AWD as well and promises 250 miles of range with 600 cubic feet of cargo space, whereas the smaller EV410 has a short wheelbase of just over 150 in., making it compatible with regular parking spots while still retaining the same features of the EV600 but packing 400 cubic feet of cargo space.
GM is currently re-tooling its CAMI facility in Ontario to build these electric vans (from fall 2022), but until then, the EV600 is being made by a supplier called Kuka AG at a facility in Michigan.
Bollinger Deliver-E
Bollinger seems clear that it needs a partner who specializes in body manufacturing and design to bring the Deliver-E electric van platform to the market. Image – Bollinger
On January 14, 2022, Michigan-based startup, Bollinger announced that it has ‘indefinitely’ delayed its electric truck and SUV (B2 and B1) and it would instead focus on its commercial electric van, the Deliver-E which it announced in 2020.
Expected to be built on a simplified version of the Bollinger skateboard platform (Chass-E), the Deliver-E would be built in multiple wheelbase sizes and configurations with battery specifications of 70 kWh, 105 kWh, 140 kWh, 175 kWh, and 210 kWh, in a front wheel drive layout. Bollinger has not announced when production will start. It is still looking for a manufacturing partner, especially one that has experience in making van bodies as it does not plan on making the body itself, the company’s CEO Robert Bollinger said in a statement.
Mercedes-Benz eSprinter (Late 2023)
Future electric van models from Mercedes Benz (post 2025) will have access to a dedicated EV platform (VAN.EA). Image – Mercedes
The current Mercedes eSprinter (which is sold in Europe) will not be launched in the USA as, according to the company, it does not meet the State’s safety and other performance requirements. However, the next-gen eSprinter, expected towards late 2023, will not only be launched in the USA but also be made locally, at the North Charleston, South Carolina plant.
Based on Mercedes’s Electric Versatility Platform (the more advanced Mercedes VAN.EA platform is not expected until 2025), the eSprinter is expected in two wheelbases, two roof heights, and in multiple variants (cargo, passenger, and chassis). The next gen eSprinter should be available in 60 kWh, 80 kWh, and 120 kWh battery pack options, with the 120 kWh unit delivering around 225 miles of range (the Euro eSprinter with a 55-kWh battery offers only 96 miles of range, which Mercedes considers too short for North America). An underfloor battery and a rear-wheel drive drivetrain layout are expected. The prices could fall in the region of $45,000-50,000.
Canoo MPDV (Late 2023)
Canoo says that production will start at a Arkansas facility in 2022, before moving to a planned “Mega Micro” factory in Pryor, Oklahoma, in late 2023, with the Lifestyle Vehicle planned to be launched first. Image – Canoo
Despite a series of high-level exits in its workforce, Canoo still plans to bring out the MPDV (Multi-purpose Delivery Vehicle) for the 2024 model year, according to reports. Canoo plans on having two variants of its electric van: MPDV 1 and MPDV 2. They will ride on the same skateboard chassis as the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, but where the MPDV 1 would be the size of a Transit Connect, the MPDV 2 would be equivalent to the full-size Transit.
Both models will be front-wheel driven making around 200 hp and be available in battery sizes of 40, 60, and 80 kWh. The MPDV 1 will cover 130, 190 and 230 miles respectively whereas the larger MPDV 2 will achieve 90, 140 and 190 miles at these capacities.
Where the MPDV 1 is rated for 200 cubic feet of cargo space, the larger MPDV 2 offers more than double the cargo space – 450 cubic feet. The company claims its quirky styling has resulted in maximum interior space offering 30% more parcel volume than ICE-powered vans. The starting price of the MPDV is $33,000, and the company has started taking reservations online.
VW ID.Buzz Cargo
VW is targeting autonomous capability for its ID.Buzz range including the planned electric van model. Image – VW
While VW will initially unveil the passenger ID.Buzz on March 9, a cargo electric van variant is planned, VW Head of R&D MaaS/TaaS, Christian Senger confirmed. During the company’s New Auto presentation in July 2021, a presentation was shown teasing the ID.Buzz Cargo variant with full autonomous capability.
The ID.Buzz passenger variant will be launched in the USA in late 2023 and be followed by its cargo version. It will ride on VW’s MEB-XL platform and, like the passenger variant, could come in two lengths for varying cargo needs. The ID.Buzz Cargo, too, could be available with battery pack options as big as 111 kWh, with the battery pack being part of the floor to reinforce the vehicle’s structure. While VW has spoken about a 48 kWh variant for the Cargo version justifying short, intracity missions, it’s highly unlikely VW brings this variant to USA considering the range requirements from American operators.
The largest battery pack may deliver around 350 miles of range (WLTP), which should work out a bit lower when measured as per EPA, but nevertheless, be competitive against rivals like the eSprinter and the E-Transit.
Featured Image Source: BrightDrop
Keyword: Electric van models coming to U.S. in the immediate future