[zesty]

Spoke to a car detailer today, he said he hired an electric nv200 or whatever it is.

He said it was supposed to do 120 miles on a charge, but it was doing just 50 miles or so once he’d loaded it up  with the water tank etc. even worse in freezing weather.

Now I looked at the new e transit custom, seems llle a great van, but I’m also hearing of really bad range in winter when loaded up.

With that being said, what range are you getting when loaded up and on a cold winters day?

It just seems bonkers to spend a load of dosh on a van that barely gets you from A to B.


Just filled up my diesel transit custom and have a 550 miles to the tank. Fill and forget.

[Soupy]

Vivaro-e claims 140ish miles. In winter, fully loaded that's more like 90ish. Maybe less depending on how you drive it.

650l tank, NE Scotland where it's pretty cold in January.

How often do you travel more than 90 miles in a day to clean windows?

I have a diesel vivaro too. It does 600+ miles to the tank. It's not a window cleaning van though and regularly does more than 90 miles in a day.

Right tool for the job at hand.

If you don't want an electric van or you use your van for traveling hundreds of miles in a day, don't buy one. No skin off my nose.

[Soupy]

By the way, the biggest factor for the range is the same as any vehicle - what you're doing with your right boot.

[Soupy]

Lad in the vivaro-e got stuck in the snow the other day (they're crap in the snow), he was 5 miles from home - the range said 40 miles.

He was stuck for an hour and sh!tting himself.

He had 35 miles left when he got home.

[zesty]

750l tank, and every now and then i travel a good 40-50 miles to big jobs for one or two of the estate management companies I work for. I’d be pushing it in winter to get there and back.

Shame as I’m not against EV’s per se. I just think the range is pathetic. If I could gaurentee 150 miles when fully loaded in the winter, I’d go for the e transit custom for sure. For most of my work locally, it’d be perfect.

[Splash and dash]

750l tank, and every now and then i travel a good 40-50 miles to big jobs for one or two of the estate management companies I work for. I’d be pushing it in winter to get there and back.

Shame as I’m not against EV’s per se. I just think the range is pathetic. If I could gaurentee 150 miles when fully loaded in the winter, I’d go for the e transit custom for sure. For most of my work locally, it’d be perfect.

Would be a right pita but you could stop and do a top up charge if you are that keen to have one

[Perfect Windows]

Soupy, do your guys charge to 80% or 100%?

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

750l tank, and every now and then i travel a good 40-50 miles to big jobs for one or two of the estate management companies I work for. I’d be pushing it in winter to get there and back.

Shame as I’m not against EV’s per se. I just think the range is pathetic. If I could gaurentee 150 miles when fully loaded in the winter, I’d go for the e transit custom for sure. For most of my work locally, it’d be perfect.

The e Custom has a WLTP range of 210miles. Using Soupy's reduction in range like-for like, range would be 135 miles.

Soupy's in the north of Scotland. His winter temps may be a tad more savage than yours.

So I'm just not sure you'd be 'pushing it' on a round trip of 100 miles. And if it's an occasional trip, chargers are also an option. I seem to recall from a chat with Soupy that one of his guys does a long trip occasionally to a customer and just pops it on a charger while he has something to eat.

However, I'll repeat something I've said time and again, I'd never consider buying new. And certainly not a recently introduced van as it'll have teething troubles. An eVivaro or eProace has the same range, has been on the market for a few years and is available used for a quarter of the price of a new eCustom.

Vin

[zesty]

From what I’ve read, the range is a lot lower when fully loaded with heaters on in the winter.
More like 80 miles.

I’m going wait for some longer term reviews.

It’s still be much cheaper than diesel even if you had to charge it from empty every night. It’s just very annoying the battery isn’t bigger.

Won’t entertain the vivaro as it only tows a tonne. I use nifty 120ts more than a few times a year for certain jobs, I need the towing capacity.

[Soupy]

Soupy, do your guys charge to 80% or 100%?

Vin

100

[Soupy]

From what I’ve read, the range is a lot lower when fully loaded with heaters on in the winter.
More like 80 miles.

I’m going wait for some longer term reviews.

It’s still be much cheaper than diesel even if you had to charge it from empty every night. It’s just very annoying the battery isn’t bigger.

Won’t entertain the vivaro as it only tows a tonne. I use nifty 120ts more than a few times a year for certain jobs, I need the towing capacity.

I'm fully aware that it's not possible but in our experience the weight makes no difference. Full and empty the distance possible is the same. When I first tested the e-vito it actually went further loaded.

Again I'm aware it's impossible and defies the laws of physics but that's what happened. There are obviously loads of variables that must have affected (effected?) the result.

They both (evitos & vivaro-es) have a power setting eco-normal-boost. If you drive in eco the regen is more aggressive, the heaters don't work and it's slower.

I reckon the reports of 80 miles from a 210 range battery are not driving in eco mode.

[zesty]

Yeah i think the weight helps with regens.

There’s no way I’m gonna drive around with no heaters on on the winter though!

Right, perhaps a 72 hour test drive is in order.

You’re to blame soupy, you got me researching and interested in an EV van. Let’s see how this plays out.

If the range is good, then I’m nearly sold.

The savings in diesel are attractive. And having no DPF issues with a diesel is also a winner. Short journeys defo suit EVs.

[Soupy]

Yeah i think the weight helps with regens.

There’s no way I’m gonna drive around with no heaters on on the winter though!

Right, perhaps a 72 hour test drive is in order.

You’re to blame soupy, you got me researching and interested in an EV van. Let’s see how this plays out.

If the range is good, then I’m nearly sold.

The savings in diesel are attractive. And having no DPF issues with a diesel is also a winner. Short journeys defo suit EVs.

Get yourself an IBC that you can strap down in the back - do a real world full vs empty test. See what you think.

You can switch between power modes on the fly so it's not like you'd be driving around with no heater all day. Also you get it hot before you leave in the morning, while plugged in... without even leaving your house if you've got the app. Heated seats come in handy too...

[Soupy]

Just thinking about it, during my test drive of the e-vito I had an IBC 3/4 full which I drove round the same route I'd driven the day before unloaded. There's a good chance I was driving much more cautiously having 3/4 of a tonne of unbaffled water ratchet strapped in the back.

Highlights my point that the biggest factor when it comes to economy and range is what your right boot is doing. Makes sense when you think about it.

[zesty]

I’ve spoken to Ford, they’ve obviously got no used ones available at the moment, there are some ex demos around but I want one with the plug sockets in the back for the gutter vac.

I’m gonna hang on until a used one comes up. It an ex demo with plug sockets.

Test drive next week hopefully.

[Ched]

I’ve spoken to Ford, they’ve obviously got no used ones available at the moment, there are some ex demos around but I want one with the plug sockets in the back for the gutter vac.

I’m gonna hang on until a used one comes up. It an ex demo with plug sockets.

Test drive next week hopefully.

Make sure that the sockets can handle the startup power of the gutter vac as some of the 3000watt+ vacs pull a huge amount of current when starting up, even if you wait 20 seconds between motor starts. Just look at the size of generators the manufacturers spec says is recommended!

[zesty]

Yeah that did cross my mind actually. Worst case scenario, one or two motors only.

[KS Cleaning]

I’ve spoken to Ford, they’ve obviously got no used ones available at the moment, there are some ex demos around but I want one with the plug sockets in the back for the gutter vac.

I’m gonna hang on until a used one comes up. It an ex demo with plug sockets.

Test drive next week hopefully.

I will let you be the guinea pig with the eCustom, keep me updated 😁

[Perfect Windows]

Yeah that did cross my mind actually. Worst case scenario, one or two motors only.

I'd be very careful indeed. The inverter is rated max 2.3kW - we have an inverter on the boat and we try hard to keep as far below its max as we can as you can hear the fans kick in a long time before it reaches close to max. I think in summer you might have a cooling problem.

How do you currently run your vac?
 
Vin

[zesty]

Yeah that did cross my mind actually. Worst case scenario, one or two motors only.

I'd be very careful indeed. The inverter is rated max 2.3kW - we have an inverter on the boat and we try hard to keep as far below its max as we can as you can hear the fans kick in a long time before it reaches close to max. I think in summer you might have a cooling problem.

How do you currently run your vac?
 
Vin

Customers power or on commercial, it’s a case of using communal area power. Not the most ideal but it works. There are occasions of need a genny but never invested in one so far. The power from a van would be handy, but you’re right it can’t take 3kw, I checked earlier.