LEVC VN5 review

The first new van from the London Electric Vehicle Company has a familiar shape about it, and what that shape is becomes obvious when you realise that LEVC used to be known as the London Taxi Company – the LEVC VN5 van is evolved directly from the latest black cabs that are steadily replacing older taxis on the streets of London and other cities.

These new vehicles, designed specifically for clean-air zones such as are found in urban centres, are not fully electric machines. Nor are they conventional plug-in hybrids. Instead, they combine an electric motor mounted at the rear with a small 1.5-litre petrol engine mounted in the normal spot at the front of the vehicle. The engine acts as a ‘range extender’, which means it has no connection to the wheels and is present merely to generate electricity for the battery.

However, as we discovered on the roads around LEVC’s increasingly busy plant in the UK’s former automotive manufacturing hub of Coventry, the powertrain is by no means the only area in which the LEVC VN5 differs from typical compact vans.

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What’s new about the LEVC VN5?

The range-extender drivetrain gives the VN5 an almost unique place in the light commercial van marketplace, with the only other van available with a similar set-up being the Ford Transit Custom. But the VN5’s differences from other vans extend to the fundamental design of its structure.

As we detail in our feature on the LEVC plant, the basic shell of the van and its sister TX taxi are built using techniques from the aerospace industry, focusing on an anodised aluminium structure that is bonded and glued together, and onto which moulded composite panels are attached.

The anodised aluminium construction is distinctly lighter than mild steel, aiding both the van’s performance and range between charges, and is also twice as strong. The composite panels are also might lighter than steel equivalents, and are also more resistant to damage and corrosion.

As a result, LEVC claims that the VN5 has a much longer potential working life than a typical van. It suggests that businesses will no longer need three-year vehicle replacement cycles, promoting the van as an ‘eight-year’ workhorse. The van’s battery warranty runs for that length of time, alongside the broader five-year vehicle warranty, which can be extended.

How does it look?

As mentioned the VN5 looks a lot like the LEVC TX London taxi because it’s directly evolved from the cab – from the front bumper back to the windscreen pillar, the two vehicles are effectively identical. At 5.2 metres in length, the van is longer than the taxi, the the extension sepcifically engineered to allow it to carry two Euro pallets and incorporate a side door large enough to load one of the pallets through – by no means the norm in this category of vehicle.

It’s a distinctive visual appearance, more curvy than a typical van and improved by the detail options that are offered on upmarket versions.

What can you get in it?

The VN5 will take take up to 830kg of payload, including up to 100kg mounted on the roof using a suitable rack. Maximum internal loadspace is 55m³, enough to accommodate two Euro pallets. The internal load floor is just over 240cm long and the load height is 64cm onto a flat floor well illuminated by an LED light.

Without a roof rack in place, the VN5 is less than two metres tall, reducing the payload options but making it a practical option in areas of height restriction.

Unlike more conventional vans from big-name brands, there are no options for short or longer wheelbases, or taller or shorter roof heights.

What’s the spec like?

LEVC’s first van comes in three trim levels dubbed Business, City and Ultima. Business versions start from just under £49K (excluding VAT), including dual-zone climate control, auto wipers and headlamps, electric heated mirrors, keyless starting, cruise control and a nine-inch central touchscreen display.

Upgrade to City, from £50.5K plus VAT, and the cabin gains a heated windscreen and additional storage, the cargo bay full cladding, while front and rear parking sensors are included alongside extra safety measures detailed below.

The range-topping Ultima, priced from £53.5K plus VAT, gets some extra exterior detailing including metallic paint, body-coloured bumpers and silver-steel wheels, electrically adjustable heated seats, satellite navigation and a rear-view camera, and perhaps most importantly the ability to charge the van using a 22kW DC fast charger.

In terms of safety, all versions come fitted with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist protection, forward collision warning and protection for vulnerable road users. Business and Ultima models add lane departure warning, road sign and speed limit information and curtain airbags.

Some reviews of the VN5 have highlighted its price being more expensive than more typical rivals – the list price of a VN5 Business is around £2,000 more than an equivalent plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Transit Custom and close to £6,000 more than an electric Mercedes-Benz eVito.

LEVC argues that the question is not so simple, as the VN5 boasts fuel and emissions cost savings along with very low maintenance costs. In addition, because it is designed to last longer before replacement, its costs can be spread over a longer period. LEVC claims a total cost per mile of running a VN5 as 39p compared to 48p for the Transit and 47p for the Mercedes.

What’s the LEVC VN5 like inside?

The driving environment of the TX taxi and the VN5 van are very similar in design, though the taxi has no front left seat, replaced by luggage storage, and the instruments are more clustered around the driver as a result. The instrumentation will be familiar to anyone who has driven a recent Volvo, especially the centre console with its vertical touchscreen infotainment system.

The plastic surfaces of the van are more hard-wearing and therefore less plush than in the taxi, but this reflects the target market. Generally it’s a comfortable environment with a nicely elevated, if slightly cosy, seating position that offers excellent vision.

The load space is easy to access, either through the twin rear doors or the sliding side door. Four tie-down loops to strap down cargo are included in base models, doubling to eight on the Ultima model. All but the entry-level Business version also get a fully-clad cargo bay with a 12-volt socket replicating the one fitted in the cabin.

What’s under the bonnet?

As we stated at the start, this is not a plug-in hybrid in the typical sense, even though in normal use you plug it in and recharge the battery like any other plug-in hybrid.

Being a range-extender drivetrain, the 1.5-litre petrol engine – of just 91hp – is mounted in the traditional engine bay but divorced from the wheels. All of the propulsion comes from a 110kW electric motor incorporated in the rear axle and fed by a battery and inverter mounted under the floor to maintain a low centre of gravity.

The engine’s sole purpose is to activate as needed to generate electricity when the battery is depleted. As such, it is never running at much more than tickover so the official combined cycle fuel economy of 340mpg and CO₂ emissions of 19g/km are closer to the real world than those of a typical plug-in hybrid.

There are three drive modes, called ‘Smart’, ‘Save’ and ‘Pure EV’. They work as follows:

• Smart is the default mode, where the electric and petrol parts of the drivetrain work in tandem as required
• Save uses the petrol engine to generate electricity at all times, thereby saving the battery charge for urban zero-emissions zones, when one can switch to…
• Pure EV mode, with a full battery range of up to 64 miles – which is more than twice that of the Transit Custom

The battery charging sockets are mounted in the front ‘grille’. Fully recharging the battery takes 3hrs 45 minutes using a 7kW wallbox, or eight hours through a domestic three-pin socket. If you have access to an 11kW wallbox unit (not available at ost domestic adddresses as it requires three-phase power supply), this is reduced to 2hrs 20 minutes.

Plugging into a 22kW charging unit means a full charge takes 1hr 15 minutes, while employing a DC rapid outlet enables a full charge in just 30 minutes. Note, however, that only the top Ultima version is supplied with 22kW AC charging capability, on other models it is an £830 plus VAT option.

In practice, a van used for local deliveries, charged overnight and perhaps topped up while the driver is having lunch on a DC rapid charger (the electric-only range is more than many urban daily delivery mileage rates), may never need to make use of the engine. Indeed, the VN5 even includes a warning light reminding owners to occasionally turn the engine over to prevent the fuel going stale!

What’s the LEVC VN5 like to drive?

In a word, easy. The electric system comes to life by gently twisting the knob on the base of the centre console to the right. Then one simply chooses drive on the short, stubby ‘gear lever’ (electric motors don’t have conventional gearboxes), squeezes the accelerator pedal and the VN5 glides away. Acceleration feels more brisk than it actually is without being rushed and the vehicle never really feels like it’s working hard. The essential figures are 13 seconds to 62mph with a maximum speed of 80mph.

Driving unladen, the VN5 has a very light steering touch, though not so light that one feels divorced from control. The front suspension replicates that of the TX taxi, which means the van boasts a very tight turning circle – not quite as sharp as the black cab, but better than any rival LCV. Watching the wheels turn to an angle of close to 90 degrees is from the outside quite unnerving…

The input from the engine, when battery recharging is required, is virtually seamless. It is basically a very undemanding machine to live with.

The other way to encourage longer battery life is via energy recuperation and the VN5 has a two-stage regeneration system, controlled via the gear lever. As with most electric vehicles, it can be advantageous to have regeneration activated – then one can almost drive the machine entirely on a single pedal, using the friction of the engine system rather than the brake pedal to slow for junctions, corners and such.

Verdict

On the face of it, the LEVC VN5 is an expensive electric van. But, for a fleet manager adding up all the potential advantages in terms of running costs and reduced worries, such as having to replace it or particularly rescuing drivers stranded at a non-working public charging point, its appeal grows rapidly.

This is a van that is easy to drive, easy to load and easy to live with. It offers none of the concerns people still have over switching to electric propulsion. Bear all that in mind and the fact that it’s finding favour with several fleets, and even the police, is not really surprising.

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