electric van

Volkswagen first showed off a heavily camouflaged version of its next-generation Transporter van back in December – but new specs and interior pictures give us our best look at the new van until the wraps officially come off in September.

The electric van market is heating up with new entries coming soon from Nissan, Mercedes, and even Kia – and now, even more players are getting into the market. A new JV between Volvo Trucks, Renault, and logistics provider CMA CGM promises a “revolutionary” new entry into the increasingly crowded field.

Nissan is taking the fight to the Ford e-Transit electric van by upgrading its full size commercial van lineup with — for the first time ever! — a fully electric powertrain and two different battery sizes (in Europe, anyway).

Renewables firm Helion just switched its entire commercial fleet to fully electric with 100 VW ID. Buzz Cargo vehicles.

Despite all the doom, gloom, and wishful thinking from the anti-EV crowd, the numbers paint a narrative of swift expansion in the commercial EV and ZEV (Zero-Emission Vehicle) markets. CALSTART’s latest figures reveal a remarkable 250% growth in the zero-emission heavy truck market.

You may have heard of the Japanese phenomenon of “kei cars”, which are pint-sized vehicles designed to fit into a local regulatory window that allows for much smaller, lighter cars and trucks to operate legally on roads. For decades, the result of those regulations has helped spawn some of the most interesting and often cutest miniature vehicles in the world. Now, one Japanese automaker plans to bring its own kei car to the US. Meet the PUZZLE from HW ELECTRO.

UK startup Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) has announced an interesting new partnership today as it looks to reach production of its flagship commercial van, the eCV1. Together with the help of leading Norwegian industrial company Hydro, WEVC hopes to deliver an electric van built from recycled aluminum that can last decades and potentially enable closed-loop production.

Ahead of its public display at the Adventure Van Expo in Oregon this weekend, EV specialist Maxwell Vehicles announced it has teamed up with premium van-builder Rossmönster to create a purpose-built electric camper that fans of this site are going to eat up. Complete with a solar roof, adequate range, and eventual access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, this electric camper van will be available to test out soon. Check it out.

Which electric van can tow the most, you ask? Well, that title goes to the IVECO eDaily after the standard electric commercial van pulled over 338,500 lbs (153.58 tons), setting a new Guinness World Record.

For those of you looking for the ultimate glamping experience, Mercedes-Benz is about to have the solution for you. Mercedes revealed its new dedicated Vans Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) to expand its EV van lineup, and for the first time, the automaker will introduce private luxury midsize electric vans to the US and China, including camper versions.

Rollaway, a Silicon Valley-based sustainable hospitality startup, is partnering with GM’s BrightDrop to build a luxury electric van that it calls “the hotel room of tomorrow.” The electric van will feature five-star services and amenities with an impressive 250 miles range.

Commercial electrification specialist Lightning eMotors is celebrating its latest company feat in the form of Altoona testing certification for its ZEV3 battery electric passenger van. By receiving certification of granular testing by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the ZEV3 becomes the first Class 3 battery electric van to pass Altoona, meaning its purchases can now qualify for grants at both the federal and state level.

The largest bus and transport services vehicle dealer in the US, Creative Bus Sales, is teaming up with Forest River Bus to meet the surging demand for zero-emission paratransit electric vans. Creative Bus Sales says it will have 1,000 Ford E-Transit EVs customized by Forest river available by the end of 2022.

Going to prison is never good, but your next trip may be a breath of fresh air as the first electric prisoner transport EV rolls out in Cobb County, Georgia.

Specialty vehicle manufacturer The Shyft Group has received its first pre-order for all-electric walk-in delivery vans under its new Blue Arc sub-brand. The initial order comes from one of the largest automotive dealer groups in the Carolinas and will consist of 2,000 Blue Arc electric delivery vans to begin.

One year after announcing a collaboration with JB Poindexter subsidiaries to develop commercial EVs, REE Automotive, EAVX, and Morgan Olseon have kicked off live demonstrations of the Proxima van – a joint prototype combining MO/EAVX’s new body and REE’s P7 platform.

Reading, Pennsylvania-headquartered Penske Truck Leasing has ordered 750 electric Ford E-Transit cargo vans and is taking delivery of the first of those EVs in the next several weeks. This follows Penske’s successful pilot of the EVs in late 2022.

Just like it says in the headline – here’s your chance to check out the nearly production-ready interior of the upcoming Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van weeks before VW wants you to see it!

The Morris JE, a reimagining of the mid-20th-century British Morris J-type van, will debut next year. The electric van is pricey, but with incentives, nostalgic features, and hopefully quality, it will definitely turn heads.

DHL announced today that it will introduce a new fleet of electric delivery vans to the U.S. market this year.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Last summer, a new startup called Chanje launched a commercial all-electric van in the US with Ryder as its “exclusive sales channel and service partner.”

Now Ryder is ordering a large fleet of 500 all-electric vans from Chanje to expand its North American electric commercial truck rental and ChoiceLease fleet. 
Expand
Expanding
Close