Toyota Proace Max EV Panel Van (2024 - ) review

While there are two lengths and two heights available on the Proace Max EV panel van, you’re actually looking at three combinations to choose from – L3H2, L3H3 and L4H3 – offering between 13 and 17 cubic metres of load volume and payloads of nearly 1500 kg. If you take a close look at the pictures you’ll also note the bonus load shelf above the cabin and on top of the full-height bulkhead. The load space itself is accessed through a big side-sliding door wide enough to slide a Euro pallet in, and two rear doors that open up to 180 degrees with a lock that can hold them in place at 90 degrees. Tie down points line the floor and walls on both sides meaning there’s plenty of places to secure your load. In short, it’s a massive and practical load space, one that will benefit from ply-lining to protect the metalwork (it’s a good thing that often comes free on a lease). Check the pics and you'll see our test driver (Tom Roberts) was able to transport his motorbike in the van, with more than enough room for at least five or six more similar-sized bikes.

Say what you like about aging van platforms and their dated cabins, we think it’s a big part of the Proace Max EV’s charm when you consider all the equipment you get. The driver gets their own seat with an armrest and two passengers can share a good-sized bench seat, the middle seat of which can turn into a fold-down desk (which is always a nice touch). The single trim level means all vans in the range get a nice big 10-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, DAB radio, sat nav, voice recognition, and it also acts as the display for the reversing camera. The dashboard is durable black plastic, covered in vents and under the infotainment system is the climate control station (with auto air con) and the drive selector dial. So, on that last one… the drive selector dial… it’s really clunky and looks out of place even in a van of this ‘maturity’, and right next to that is a tiny button for EV driving mode selection, more on these later. Storage feels abundant with great big door pockets, a glove box, a lidded container in the dashboard and a double cup and device holder near the middle passenger’s feet. Fabrics are simple and dark to match the black rubber floor mats, and there are connections and USB sockets in all the right places.

Well, prices hover around £52-54K, which is the vehicle’s commercial vehicle on-the-road price with the PIVG grant already taken off, so it’s not cheap by any means. The 260-mile range is decent but you will need to charge it up, the costs of which will be dictated by how and where you charge – at home will depend on your power tariff, while public charging will depend on which charging network you use. As you’d expect, an electric van will save money in the long-term as it negates spending out on fuel, and a good finance or lease deal will break down the acquisition costs.

A huge benefit of choosing to drive any Toyota van is that they all come with a three-year manufacturer warranty that extends each year for another 12 months/10,000 miles with every qualifying service (get it done at a Toyota Professional service centre). You can keep doing this each year up to a total of 100,000 miles or 10 years, which is excellent cover. If a manufacturer is this confident in its product that it gives out 10-year warranties, then the reliability of the van is something you can be confident about.

One thing the Proace Max EV can do is perform in the ways a classic large van should: it’s big in the back, comfy up front, accessible and practical. It will perform its duties well acting as a workhorse for fleets and businesses of all sizes in the UK. To get the best out of the Proace Max EV, you’ll want to drive it with weight in the back to eliminate suspension bumps and body roll in corners. The reversing camera (available as standard, hooray) is a critical equipment addition to the Icon trim level providing drivers with a far easier time maneuvering the vehicle about in the line of duty. To get the most out of the battery you should pick the ECO driving mode, but the Normal mode provides a good balance and leaves some poke in the motor… avoid Power mode if you want to save some battery.

The driving position is commanding with a great view through the huge windscreen. The ride can be bumpy and rolls into corners when unladen, so drive with weight. This is definitely one of those electric vans that feels way too light without a load in the back. The big 110 kWh battery pack powers the 200 kW motor through one of three drive modes – ECO, Normal and Power. As the names might suggest, ECO pulls back power output to 163 horsepower for slower low-weight drives, Normal is the balanced setting that pegs power output at 218 horsepower, and Power gives you all 270 horsepower for the heavy jobs. You can also increase or decrease regen braking by using the paddles on the steering wheel, which is also covered in a range of controls. The drive is smooth and the Proace Max EV can be surprisingly quick off the mark for such a large van. Road noise is intrusive at higher speeds, but that’s to be expected.

The Toyota Proace Max has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating with onboard systems at a high level. Highlights include driver attention alerts, cruise control, road sign assist, crosswind assist, lane trace assist, pre-collision system and land departure alerts. The single trim means you get all safety systems available for Proace Max’s at purchase.

As you can see from the sections above, the equipment level of the single trim this vehicle is offered in is high. You get almost everything you need, including the excellent reversing camera, as standard. You can probably pay for extra bits and bobs off the options list if you like, but what you get is very good.

You’ll buy the Toyota Proace Max EV because you’re looking for a good large electric van and you found this one’s equipment level ticked all your boxes on a great finance or lease deal. Choosing this over the Stellantis large electric vans is going to come down to brand loyalty or the deal, but Toyota’s take on this family of large vans is definitely the best we’ve had in for a while. Yes, the Ford E-Transit should be factored into your thinking, but the Proace Max has that 10-year warranty! Did we mention that once or twice?