New Volkswagen Crafter Electric van fleet trials ongoing!

The new Volkswagen Crafter electric van, named the e-Crafter is currently undergoing trials with an international group of major customers across Europe which started almost 1 month ago!

New Volkswagen e-Crafter

The ongoing project is running in parallel with customers from: Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the home country of Volkswagen vans, Germany all testing the new zero-emission vans in everyday use. These trials will continue until mid-2018.

In total there are four UK new van fleets taking part in the trial, including Gatwick Airport. Other new van fleets involved in the trial include: package delivery services, energy suppliers, trades business and individual retailers whose vans cover approximately between 43 and 62 miles per day in some cases involving hundreds of stops and starts. These are the target market of the new Volkswagen Crafter electric van, Volkswagen vans believe that these mileage parameters apply to approximately 85% of journeys completed in an urban setting.

Speaking last month, Dr Eckhard Scholz, Chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen vans said: "We have developed the new e-Crafter with our customers and for our customers. We are therefore now integrating selected fleet operators into an initial customer phase so that their findings in daily operations with the vehicles can flow into the final design of the zero-emission van."

Volkswagen vans have stated that the new Volkswagen Crafter electric van has been tailored for city operations, with a 100kW power output, a range of approximately 100 miles and a top speed limited to 55 miles per hour.

The Volkswagen e-Crafter features a lithium-ion battery which is fully integrated into the underbody of the new van, meaning it has a fully usable load volume of 10.7 cubic metres. The e-Crafter also has a load width of 1.38 metres, a load height of 1.86 metres with a maximum payload ranging between 1-tonne and 1.75-tonnes depending on the selected model.

The new van takes 5 hours 20 minutes to charge from a 7.2kW AC wallbox, whilst it can also be charged to 80 percent at a 40kW CCS charging station in as little as 45 minutes. Like diesel versions of the new Volkswagen Crafter, the e-Crafter will come fully equipped with standard features, including: Park Assist with side protection, climate control, comfort seats, multifunctional camera and rear view camera system, LED headlights and a mobile phone preparation module.

Following the results of the ongoing trails, the new Volkswagen e-Crafter van is expected to be available from September 2018!

New Volkswagen Crafter on finance

So it's a while until the new e-Crafter is available, however at Vansdirect we do have a range of new Volkswagen Crafter vans available, with van fleet leasing deals or with a range of flexible van finance options, including: van leasing, contract hire and hire purchase. Looking for a new vanCall us today on 0800 169 69 95 or enquire online and we'll get back to you asap.