MAXUS eDeliver 3 Van Review (2020 - )

Accessed by 60/40 split twin rear doors and a single side loading door, the load area is larger than small vans such as the Citroen Berlingo or Ford Transit Courier, but it’s not as big as the Ford Transit Custom or Vauxhall Vivaro medium vans at the business end. The floor has a slip-resistant steel overlay (very useful when combined with a ply-lined interior to minimise damage to the metalwork), and there are six load lashing points and a bulkhead to prevent items making their way into the cab under heavy braking. The critical dimensions are as follows. The internal length is 2180 mm, internal width (max) is 1665mm, wheel arch width is 1220mm (perfect for sliding Europallets in between), internal height is 1330mm, side door width is 710mm and their height is 1230mm, and loadspace volume sits at a respectable 4.8 cubic metres. Maxus found itself having to respond to criticism when the first prototypes were unveiled - at that time the width between wheel arches was inadequate for accommodating a Europallet (so, under 1200mm wide). Production vehicles can now comfortably take two euro pallets in the back, with the twin rear doors making loading and unloading with a fork-lift truck incredibly easy. Payload differs depending on which of the two battery packs you choose. Normally, you would expect the larger and heavier one to reduce the payload, but (in a genius move) Maxus has increased the eDeliver3’s GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) to accommodate this additional weight. So, while the 35kWh model can carry 865kg, the 52.5kWh equipped Maxus has a capacity of 905kg despite the van weighing 100kg more! Clever stuff. Not all electric vans are approved for towing (because this has a major effect on the range between charges being achieved), but depending on the battery pack chosen there’s the facility to tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1200kg.

Perhaps the biggest giveaway that this isn’t a medium van is the lack of a third seat in the cab, although this means that the driver and passenger don’t have to worry about someone sitting in between them feeling cramped. The seats themselves are comfortable, look good and are highly durable. There is quite a lot of plastic visible on the floor, through the door panels and up to the dash, and while this is generally unavoidable in vans it means there’s a lot of durability in the eDeliver3’s cabin. Although it does also have a plastic-like aroma that experienced van drivers will remember from the Japanese vans launched in the 1990s. Otherwise, the dash looks OK with a centrally-mounted multimedia screen and a limited amount of storage in the cab with some door pockets, floor-mounted cup holders and a shelf where you would normally find a glovebox. There's no storage in the lower part of the dash centre section (although this means there’s excellent cross-cab access) and no cubby hole between the seats - this space is instead occupied by the handbrake, which is located a little higher than you might expect.

Running costs will largely depend on where you charge and how often you charge. Charging the van at home will depend on your home power tariff, and charging out and about will depend on the public charging network you access. Caps are in place on both, but public charging will be more expensive than charging from home. If you’re lucky enough to work your van out of a depot that provides charging for free, taking advantage of this will significantly reduce your charging bills.

Look at the van’s warranty length and you’ll see how reliable this van is. The van itself is covered by a confident 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, while the battery packs are given a generous 8-year/100,000-mile warranty. When a manufacturer offers up warranties of those lengths, they’re clearly confident in the reliability of the vehicle.

Fitted with a 90kW electric motor, the van whizzes along with a 0-62mph time of 12 seconds and a top speed of 75mph. As mentioned, one of the very few options available for the van is the choice of two battery packs. Charge times quoted are 6 hours for the 35kWh pack connected to a home or workplace AC charger, and 8 hours for the 50.5kWh alternative. DC charging to 80% of capacity takes 45 minutes with either option, but the manufacturer doesn’t state the charge rate required to achieve these times. The Combined cycle range with the smaller battery is just 99 miles, which is less than competitive nowadays, but 151 miles from the larger option will work for many - even after taking into account the ‘real world’ reduction in the distance achievable when the van is in daily use, in various driving and weather conditions, and with a load onboard. There are also three selectable regeneration modes, each offering a varying amount of ‘motor braking’ when the foot is lifted from the accelerator and allowing energy to be returned back to the battery. There’s also the option to select one of two driving modes. Choose ‘Eco’ rather than the standard setting and you’ll find the top speed restricted to 58mph in order to optimise the range available.

Being an all-electric vehicle, the eDeliver 3 offers drivers a smooth and torque-filled driving experience. Without load, the eDeliver 3 still feels solid and doesn’t suffer from corner rolling - this is thanks to the weight of the battery packs keeping the vehicle planted on the ground. Under load the eDeliver 3 feels only slightly slower from a standing start, although range starts to drop faster the more you carry. This van feels safe to drive, with its larger profile making you feel slightly higher off the road than in typical smaller vans.

The van is lacking in the up-to-date driver and safety aid technology that most new vans now boast, being limited to electronic stability control.

The level of equipment in the eDeliver3’s single trim level is pretty good. The van comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, which includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, but strangely no DAB radio. Air conditioning, heated seats, cruise control, reversing camera and rear parking sensors are all standard.

The eDeliver3 will appeal to those drivers operating mostly in a local environment, who don’t need a medium-sized van but know a smaller one won’t work for them. The fact that the operator won’t have to worry about the increasing number of low or zero emission zones makes it a future-proof choice, and while the Maxus doesn’t excel in any particular area, in practical terms there isn’t a weak point either. Although the lack of electronic safety and driver aids will concern some.

Just how big the market is for a van this size remains to be seen. In recent years the only comparable vehicle would have been the discontinued Nissan e-NV200, which having been launched back in 2014 was ahead of its time and disappeared just as the electric van market started to pick up. The only current competitor that comes to mind is the Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo. It has a smaller loadspace and a considerably lower payload capacity, but although it has a more powerful motor the range from a single charge is substantially higher and it has plenty of tech that is crucially missing from the Maxus. However, it is a significantly more expensive vehicle, which balances out the eDeliver 3’s potential shortcomings in this arena.

So, the Maxus eDeliver 3 is a little bit quirky - good in some areas, OK in others - and will competently and economically do a good job while emitting zero emissions for many van users - particularly those working in towns and cities. And don’t forget that 5-year/60,000-mile warranty (8-year/100,000-mile for the battery), it’s a huge confidence boost that should give any potential owners a nudge to try this van out.

Find out more about the best medium vans available with our wide range of in-depth van road tests. View our Ford Transit Custom review, or check out the Toyota Proace review.

You can also find the latest used Maxus eDeliver3 vans on AutoT rader.