Electric Daily 08 July 2013

With Iveco upping the ante on its all-electric Daily LCV, operators with their eyes on green credentials might be tempted. Steve Banner checks out a 5.2-tonne, crew cab version

Iveco is renewing its attempts to convince UK operators of the virtues of the electric version of the Daily, with the availability of a right-hand-drive 5.2 tonne model, currently being homologated. Available in both van and chassis cab guise, it is powered by NaNiC12 (sodium nickel chloride) Zebra Z5 maintenance-free, molten-salt sealed batteries, mounted beneath the cargo bed. Either three or four can be specified in parallel; they can be fully-recharged from a three-phase supply in around eight hours; and they drive an asynchronous electric motor with a peak power output of 60kW.

Maximum torque is 230Nm and the 5.2-tonner claims a maximum range of 56 miles between re-charges on three batteries. That increases to 75 miles with four. Both range figures assume that the vehicle is fully-laden and on urban work. Maximum speed is an electronically-restricted 70km/h.

The automatic gearbox's lever communicates with the motor generator by means of the vehicle's CAN-bus system, and regenerative braking is fitted. When the accelerator pedal is released, prior to braking, the electric motor promptly turns into a generator and starts topping up the batteries. Energy recovered then increases when the brake pedal is depressed.

A display in the centre of the dashboard tells the driver charge left, range remaining and the temperatures of the batteries – they reach a rather warm 300C – and motor. Press a button and you engage an economy setting, which restricts acceleration and limits top speed, too. Turn the ignition key and the dash display illuminates; turn it further while keeping your foot on the brake and you are ready to move away. Flick the gear stick to the left into D, for drive, and you're off. The other settings are N (neutral) and R (reverse): a dashboard display keeps you informed.

I sampled battery power in a 3,950mm-wheelbase six-seater Daily 5.0C, with a 12.3m3 load area separated from the cab by a full-height mesh bulkhead. It enables a work crew plus a pile of equipment to be transported. Gross payload is 1,870kg: 635kg less than the equivalent diesel, thanks to the weight of the batteries (three) plus the onboard charger.

So what is electric Daily like to drive? Performance is sluggish, if you opt for 'economy' but improves noticeably when you switch to 'standard', which allows it easily to hold its own in traffic. The trade-off is between a longer range and better driveability and most drivers will favour the latter, unless their allocated route gives them cause for range anxiety.

While there is little external noise – which means that pedestrians and cyclists may be unaware of the van's presence – in-cab noise levels are surprisingly high. The absence of decibels from a diesel engine means that other sources of noise are amplified. My demonstrator's bodyshell creaked constantly and the whine from the electric motor can become irritating.

However, electric Daily is biddable at low speeds. Furthermore, it rides and handles just as well as its diesel stable mate, which means it achieves a high standard for a vehicle of its size. But the painful bit is the price. Opt for three batteries and it will cost you £50,000 while four will set you back £60,000. And that is on top of the base vehicle list price.

So my demonstrator bore an eye-watering £84,290 price tag. Although negotiation should bring your invoice down several thousand pounds and it may be possible to lease the batteries, nobody is going to pretend this it is cheap. On the positive side, power costs a few pence per kilometre and there is no liability for Vehicle Excise Duty, London Congestion Charge or the charge some goods vehicles attract if they enter the London Low Emission Zone. Also, the absence of an diesel means maintenance costs are greatly reduced.

The batteries should last five years but changing them will set you back roughly £30,000 at today's prices, depending on how many you need. However, Iveco expects that cost to fall between now and 2018 as electric vehicles become more popular and economies of scale prevail. Electric 3.5-tonne Dailies are available, too, and may be eligible for an £8,000 Plug-in Van Grant from the government, which will reduce the price.

Verdict: while opting for an electric Daily will undoubtedly burnish your green credentials, the low emission levels being achieved by modern engines, plus their frugality, means that diesels are also pretty environmentally-friendly. Electric Daily could be useful for niche applications – running a cross-town shuttle service between one NHS hospital and another, for instance – but, even on short-haul, local delivery work, the flexibility of diesel still makes it the best bet for most operators.

Author
Steve Banner

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