Fiat’s E-Ducato electric van is now on sale in the UK, priced from £47,675 (excl VAT and incl Plug-in Van Grant).
It’s the brand’s first zero-emissions commercial electric vehicle and springboards plans for a 100% EV line-up; the brand is planning to invest more than €9bn in electrification technologies to introduce 30 new battery or hybrid models by 2022 while ditching diesels – across its car line-up anyway – by 2021.
Already piloted with a number of fleets in the UK, the E-Ducato is offered with a 122hp motor, giving maximum torque of 280Nm and a top speed of 62mph. It has a choice of battery pack options, giving a range of between 78 and 148 miles on the WLTP Combined cycle – making it a potential solution for both urban and sub-urban use.
It will initially be available as a panel van – starting deliveries in Q4 2020 – with chassis cab and passenger configurations to follow in Q1 2021.
The panel van is available in two different heights, three different lengths and three different wheelbase sizes. The chassis cab is offered with a choice of three different lengths and four different wheelbase sizes, whilst the passenger van can be ordered in one size specification that seats between five and nine passengers.
Despite its electric configuration, the E-Ducato still offers a payload of up to 1,950kg – said to be best-in-class – and maintains the same best-in-class volumes as the conventional Ducato of between 10m3 and 17m3.
All models are available with either a 47kWh or 79kWh battery, both with the 122hp motor. Both come with 7kW and 11kW onboard chargers as well as a mode 3 charging cable. The E-Ducato can charge at both 22kW and 50kW DC.
The lower-powered battery gives a range of up to 78 miles WLTP Combined and can be fully charged from zero in two hours and 25 minutes.
The 79kWh battery provides a longer range of up to 148 miles and takes four hours to charge from 0-100%.
Regenerative braking helps maximise range and the driver can choose between three driving mode options – Normal, Eco or Power. A fourth ‘Turtle’ mode is activated when battery power reaches near-to 0% level and cuts performance to extend range.
Both batteries are covered by a 10-year warranty while the E-Ducato also gets the standard ‘5-5-5’ aftercare package as every Fiat Professional ICE vehicle – covering a five-year warranty, five-year roadside assistance and five-year servicing.
Two trim levels are offered – standard and eTecnico – which both include fixed full-width steel bulkhead and twin leaf rear suspension. The Standard trim level also provides a five-inch touchscreen with DAB and Bluetooth, automatic climate control, tablet holder, USB charging port, electric heated mirrors, convertors plug, LED lighting in load area, lane departure warning system, advanced emergency braking, Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), High Beam Recognition (HBR), Rain & Dusk Sensors (RDS), Electronic stability control (ESC) and driver’s air bag.
The eTecnico also adds in 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SatNav, rear parking camera with reverse parking sensors, blind spot and rear cross path detection, embroidered headrests, front fog lights, heated electrically folding door mirrors, LED daytime running lights, leather steering wheel and chrome air vent surrounds.
Every E-Ducato also receives a 12-month subscription to the Mopar Connect app, which provides crash assistance services. There’s also a Mopar Connect Theft Assistance service that’s able to detect unauthorised towing or tampering of the device and immobilise the engine when next stopped to facilitate recovery. Roadside Assistance is also available via Mopar Connect.
The new electric E-Ducato launches as the original van approaches its 40th birthday. First launched in 1981 and now in its third generation, it’s claimed to be Europe’s best-selling large van
Richard Chamberlain, head of fiat professional in the UK, said: “We are all incredibly excited about the arrival of the new E-Ducato in showrooms later this year, because we know what a brilliant vehicle it is.
“It’s no exaggeration to say E-Ducato is going to be a game-changer for many thousands of our customers looking for an electric van that’s more than a match for real-world jobs whilst also making a positive step towards reducing their impact on the environment.”
