MellowVans, a South Africa-based manufacturer of compact electric commercial vehicles for urban logistics, has launched in the UK at the CV Show 2026.

The firm’s compact electric three-wheeler is designed specifically for cross-city and last-mile operations, circumventing problems with traditional diesel vans along with eLCVs, while cutting costs for fleets.

The debut marks the firm’s entry into one of Europe’s most advanced and competitive urban delivery markets, as fleet operators across the UK intensify their transition to electric mobility in response to tightening emissions regulations, rising operating costs and rapid e-commerce growth.

MellowVans addresses a gap in the market, where cargo bikes often lack the capacity and productivity required for commercial-scale operations, while conventional vans are frequently underutilised.

The purpose-built electric utility vehicle (EUV) sits between these two categories – delivering significantly greater cargo capacity, safety and weather protection than cargo bikes, while offering dramatically lower purchase and operating costs than traditional vans.

And unlike traditional electric vans, which the business says are often oversized and costly for city routes, the MellowVan is optimised for stop-and-go urban environments.

The versatile delivery EUV combines a compact footprint with over 2m3 of cargo capacity and a real-world urban range of approximately 70 miles, making it ideally suited to high-density delivery routes.

It also delivers substantial operational savings compared to small electric and ICE vans, according to the firm, lowering monthly running costs by more than £2,400 and £7,500 respectively over three years – significantly improving last-mile delivery economics.

The new electric utility vehicle is also proven in commercial use, with over 1.5 million operational miles across global logistics and retail fleets including DHL, DPD and Spar.

The MellowVan has been engineered for straightforward integration into existing fleet operations, requiring minimal infrastructure changes and offering flexible charging options, including via a standard wall socket.

Its L-category classification allows it to be driven with a standard car licence in most cases, simplifying driver onboarding and deployment across fleets.

The company is currently engaging with logistics operators, retailers and fleet partners to initiate pilot programmes and early deployments across key UK cities, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.

MellowVans is also establishing a “robust” UK dealer and partner network to support scaling operations and customer adoption.

Japie van Niekerk, managing director of MellowVans, said: “Our UK launch is a major milestone for the business, and we’re excited to work with forward-thinking fleet operators to demonstrate how MellowVans can transform urban delivery operations.”