The 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 is a brand new absolutely electrical tackle the midsize van vary. That is no add-on to the G10 industrial van line-up – it’s an all-new mannequin with heaps of further tech and gear.
With aggressive pricing for an electrical van that may put big-name rivals just like the Toyota HiAce, Hyundai Staria Load and Ford Transit Custom on discover, the brand new eDeliver 7 is about to shake issues up on this work-focused phase.
So, is it any good? And do you have to be contemplating this EV van in case you’re working a enterprise that at the moment depends on diesel or petrol? Learn on, and also you’ll discover out.
How does the LDV eDeliver 7 fare vs its opponents?
View an in depth breakdown of the LDV eDeliver 7 towards equally sized automobiles.
LDV
eDeliver 7
How a lot does the LDV eDeliver 7 value?
There hasn’t been a midsize electrical van in Australia that has value this little up till now.
For a little bit of context, midsize van choices sometimes run from $45,000-$60,000, relying on the car, the powertrain, the spinoff, body-type, transmission, structure, wheelbase size and physique top.
We’re nonetheless ready to seek out out what Ford will do with the pricing for its new E-Transit Custom, however the typical variations with diesel energy now span from about $55,000-$65,000.
2024 LDV eDeliver 7 pricing:
- 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 SWB Low Roof 77kWh: $59,990
- 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 LWB Low Roof 77kWh: $61,990
- 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 LWB Low Roof 88kWh: $64,990
- 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 LWB Excessive Roof 88kWh: $66,990
Costs exclude on-road prices, and apply to ABN holders
To see how the LDV eDeliver 7 compares with its rivals, take a look at our comparison tool.
What’s the LDV eDeliver 7 like on the within?
I simply talked about that it is a comparatively sizeable van for the spend, so let’s speak concerning the dimensions and capacities.
2024 LDV eDeliver 7 inside dimensions:
SWB Low Roof | LWB Low Roof | LWB Excessive Roof | |
---|---|---|---|
Cargo space size | 2547mm | 2913mm | 2913mm |
Cargo space top | 1328mm | 1328mm | 1693mm |
Cargo space width | 1800mm | 1800mm | 1800mm |
Width between arches | 1390mm | 1390mm | 1390mm |
Facet door opening width | 990mm | 990mm | 990mm |
Facet door opening top | 1200mm | 1200mm | 1200mm |
Rear doorways width | 1425mm | 1425mm | 1425mm |
Rear doorways top | 1242mm | 1242mm | 1494mm |
Whole quantity | 5.9m3 | 6.7m3 | 8.7m3 |
All variations include a single sliding facet door (kerbside), and barn doorways on the rear, signalling the intent of this work-ready van. Different marques ask you to pay extra for barn doorways.
The cargo zone options rubber ground lining, six tie-down hooks, and LED lighting for individuals who need to work within the wee hours or in darker loading zones.
Now, let’s speak concerning the usability of the cargo zone. Firstly, you would possibly want to depart the home windows down for a month or two to let the rubber scent out – as a result of actually, it bloody stinks.
Second, the rear barn doorways would possibly confide in 180 levels, however in case you’re on a slope they don’t lock in place on the broader angle, to allow them to swing closed in case you’re not cautious.
Thirdly, the truth that LDV doesn’t provide glazing as an possibility for the panels at the back of this mannequin could possibly be a downer for some. Likewise, the dearth of a tailgate possibility, for individuals who don’t need these barn doorways.
Fourth, you may’t possibility it with a driver’s-side sliding door, regardless of there being provisions for such within the cargo space.
Fifth, there’s no possibility for a correctly fitted bulkhead – properly, at the least not by means of LDV Australia. They’ll provide an adjunct cargo barrier, however a built-in divider between cabin and cargo zone isn’t on the playing cards. The UK-spec fashions have one fitted with a small glazed portion.
And sixth, the sheetmetal on the doorways and panels of those vans may be very skinny. Even simply attaching a GoPro, I felt like I may dent the door, and the brand-new check automobiles on the occasion had proof of ripples across the wheel-arches, too.
Hopefully LDV will fine-tune at the least a few of these concerns sooner or later. I imply, no van is ideal and all have compromises to fulfill value constraints, particularly when it’s a distributor working the present relatively than the corporate itself – complexity, funnily sufficient, makes this advanced.
However figuring out some tradies, it could possibly be the distinction between this van being appropriate to your wants, otherwise you strolling to the following dealership to take a look at a rival.
Okay, so what concerning the cockpit? It’s largely a really usable area, with a fairly helpful structure together with a two-seat bench with hidden storage under, and the motive force’s seat affords further adjustment for top, plus there’s an armrest for the pilot, too.
There’s an array of storage compartments too, together with tiered choices within the entrance doorways with bottle holders down low, however there are huge cup/bottle holders on the edges of the dashtop, too. There are a number of different open storage compartments, an honest glove field, and even an ash-tray.
What’s lacking is an overhead folder holder that you just discover in different automobiles on this phase.
As you’d anticipate the supplies are on the ‘hard-wearing’ finish of the spectrum, however there’s a strip of blue leather-based (or leather-look) ending on the sprint that livens issues up a bit.
Nonetheless, the most important visible curiosity within the cabin is the 12.3-inch touchscreen media system, which is vibrant, crisp, has good graphics and a fairly fast processor for leaping between menus.
There are just a few menus which are a bit hidden right here and there, however not like another screens with controls overload, this one is fairly forgivable as a result of it’s intuitive for probably the most half. The rear-view digital camera show was nice for daytime driving too.
If you’ll primarily simply use it as a smartphone mirroring display screen, you’ll need to be okay with not having the ability to take action wirelessly. There’s no wi-fi cellphone charging pad both, in case you run a few units always.
The motive force supervision cluster is much less spectacular, with the 4.2-inch LCD show providing a number of menus, however none of them being a digital speedometer.
There are just a few fascinating placements for some controls, like the very fact the shifter is the place the indicator stalk would possibly often be discovered; and the digital park brake being up close to the instrument cluster, proper close to the motive force’s facet seat heater change.
All in all, it’s not a foul effort by way of ergonomics and luxury, and definitely feels extra polished than a LDV G10 and even the Ship 9 that sits above it.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
Powering all variations of the LDV eDeliver 7 vary is a front-mounted everlasting magnet synchronous electrical motor, with 150kW of energy and 330Nm of torque.
The motor is teamed to a single-speed transmission and it powers the entrance wheels solely.
There are three totally different drive modes, together with Eco mode which limits the output and most velocity to 90km/h, whereas Regular and Energy set the max velocity to 120km/h.
LDV affords a 77kWh lithium-ion battery for the 2 most reasonably priced fashions, or an 88kWh pack for the 2 costliest variations. The batteries are CATL-sourced.
All grades are able to 11kW AC charging, which LDV claims ought to imply a 5-100% recharge time of approx. 8 hours for the 77kWh fashions, whereas the bigger 88kWh fashions ought to take about 9 hours 20 minutes.
For those who plan to cost on AC single-phase energy, at 6.6kW, you’re looking at a 12 hour 12 minute cost for the 77kWh, or 15 hours for the 88kWh model.
There’s additionally a distinction for the DC charging charges for the 2 totally different battery packs. The smaller-battery fashions have a most DC cost functionality of 78kW, and the larger-battery variations can cost at as much as 90kW on DC.
LDV claims that for each variations, that ought to imply a 20-80 per cent cost time of about 43 minutes – lengthy sufficient to recharge the automobile whilst you have a lunch break, in case you’re on the go.
As with some conventional ICE vans, you continue to need to open the passenger-side door to open the ‘gas’ flap. I don’t know why the model wouldn’t have simply designed it so it was a press-open flap like so many different EVs.
As for effectivity figures, we’re nonetheless ready to listen to from LDV as to the official numbers, however on this unladen, primarily city check I noticed 22.1kWh per 100km within the SWB Low Roof and 23.4kWh per 100km within the LWB Excessive Roof.
2024 LDV eDeliver 7 driving vary:
- SWB Low Roof 77kWh: 318km
- LWB Low Roof 77kWh: 310km
- LWB Low Roof 88kWh: 362km
- LWB Excessive Roof 88kWh: 328km
2024 LDV eDeliver 7 payload:
- SWB Low Roof 77kWh: 1350kg
- LWB Low Roof 77kWh: 1285kg
- LWB Low Roof 88kWh: 1205kg
- LWB Excessive Roof 88kWh: 1175kg
However all fashions have a towing capability of 750kg for an unbraked trailer, and 1500kg for a braked trailer.
How does the LDV eDeliver 7 drive?
It’s essential to state from the outset that whereas I had an opportunity to drive the bookends of this mannequin vary – the SWB Low Roof and LWB Excessive Roof – each have been unladen, and so my impressions right here might not be as consultant of the way you would possibly discover this car in case you drive with a full load.
There was no alternative to try it out with weight on board, so maybe we’ll cowl that in a future check. However even with out weight on board, this electrical van does the job properly.
One of many issues that makes EVs very simple to reside with is the truth that there isn’t a lot vibration or roughness to the drive expertise, and that’s the case right here, too.
You’ve obtained easy and clean acceleration; which, even within the sedate Eco mode, remains to be fairly punchy. Put it into Energy mode, and it is vitally fast – sooner than the 215/65 R16 Giti Van 600 tyres can deal with!
It’s a very clean and fairly refined expertise from a powertrain perspective. There isn’t any transmission consideration actually, because it’s a single-speed transmission.
The one actual consideration with the transmission is the gear selector location – it’s the place the indicator could be if it was “on the best facet” each figuratively and actually.
That implies that it may possibly take some getting used to, particularly if you’re doing parallel parks and so forth. You don’t wish to shift from drive to reverse as an alternative of indicating left, for instance.
Nonetheless, the most important concern for parking or lower-speed strikes with this van isn’t a lot shifting, however seeing.
That’s as a result of whereas it does include a fairly high-resolution reversing digital camera and entrance and rear parking sensors, it’s a fairly blind drive expertise with no rear panel glazing out there – and we all know that some Chinese language automobiles provide the very best surround-view digital camera tech out there. It could actually be welcome right here.
You don’t get a lot of a view out by means of these barn doorways both, and the rear-view mirror isn’t an auto-dimming unit. Perhaps an aftermarket digital digital camera mirror is perhaps a worthwhile add-on.
As for the opposite concerns for driving behaviour, the LWB fashions are inclined to have barely higher journey consolation unladen – as you’d anticipate with extra space to unfold the bumps out, with the SWB transmitting extra of the smaller lumps and bumps into the cabin.
All of them are on the agency facet, as you’d anticipate as all of them have greater than 1.0-tonne payload functionality. Having stated that, each SWB and LWB fashions felt extra snug unladen than another vans I’ve examined prior to now. The Staria Load involves thoughts, as an illustration, or the earlier HiAce.
The steering can be very user-friendly, though you do have a significantly bigger turning circle (13.4m LWB v 12.1m SWB). Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless direct and has respectable weighting that makes it simpler sufficient to pilot into parking spots, cruise round again streets, or on the freeway.
Total refinement isn’t too dangerous – the LWB Excessive Roof mannequin I sampled appeared to endure extra from wind noise intrusion due to its prolonged brow – however even the SWB Low Roof was a bit loud inside, particularly contemplating it’s an EV.
You’ll be able to hear that motor working at occasions, however there’s no irritating vibration or harshness from a rattly diesel engine, fortunately. Whereas I did attempt to have a go at this drive expertise with the lively security tech on, in case you’re like me you’ll discover it irritating to reside with.
Fortunately, although, in case you’re a courier driver, you would theoretically simply flip it off whenever you begin your shift and preserve the car working all day so that you don’t must reconfigure it every time you get again in.
What’s tremendous annoying about this van is it has a heap of superior security tech for the velocity signal recognition system, which may learn the indicators round you and beep (incessantly) to inform you in case you’re rushing – and that’s made extra insulting by the very fact there’s no digital speedometer within the instrument cluster.
LDV Australia says it is aware of this is a matter, and so they’re trying to re-template the menus within the driver information display screen to make it simpler to have an “at a look” view of your velocity, because the speedo dial is more durable to regulate.
Additionally, in case you’re the kind of one who likes to muck round with their air-conditioning whereas driving, the controls characteristic a haptic touchpad which is kind of arduous to see in daylight, with pink backlighting and a sheeny black end which is reflective.
Fortunately, it does have scroll wheels for each your fan controls and your temperature, and they’re tactile so that you do get used to utilizing them fairly rapidly.
What do you get?
Customary gear contains:
- Computerized LED headlights
- LED tail lights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- 16-inch wheels with plastic covers
- Tyre stress monitoring
- Full-sized metal spare wheel
- Rear barn doorways
- 6 x tie-down factors
- LED cargo bay lighting
- Kerbside sliding door
- Electrical park brake
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- DAB digital radio
- 4.2-inch instrument cluster display screen
- 4-speaker sound system
- 4 fabric inside trim
- Heated driver’s seat
- Heated steering wheel
- Peak-adjustable steering wheel
- Peak-adjustable driver’s seat
- incl. lumbar assist, driver’s armrest
- 2-seat entrance bench with folding console
- Heated outboard passenger seat
- Rubber flooring
- Air-conditioning
- Energy home windows
- Keyless entry
- Push-button begin
- Anti-glare rear-view mirror
- 1 x 12V outlet
- 2 x USB shops
- Rubber cargo ground masking
- Half-height protecting lining in cargo space
Is the LDV eDeliver 7 secure?
LDV says it’s hopeful that the eDeliver 7 shall be put by means of ANCAP/Euro NCAP crash testing, and the model is assured of a robust outcome if that occurs.
Customary security options embrace:
- 6 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Ahead collision warning
- Adaptive cruise management incl. cease/go
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Lane-keep help
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Reversing digital camera
- Entrance, rear parking sensors
- Driver fatigue-monitoring digital camera
- Velocity signal recognition and warning
Now, a few of that could be a bit tedious for each day driving as talked about earlier in case you’re like me, however you may not be like me. In broader phrases, that’s most likely for the higher.
How a lot does the LDV eDeliver 7 value to run?
LDV affords a five-year, 160,000km cowl for the car itself, whereas the battery pack is roofed by a helpful eight-year/250,000km plan – the one draw back is an absence of included roadside help.
The LDV eDeliver 7 vary may be very attractively positioned for enterprise house owners who’re involved about ongoing prices.
There’s a capped-price servicing plan for six years/90,000km – and sure, which means the service intervals are each two years or 30,000km, whichever happens first. The full value over that potential six-year/90,000km interval? Simply $1165. Some diesel vans value that a lot or extra for 3 years, or 45,000km to 60,000km of canopy.
That additionally means much less down-time to your car, which is a useful resource in any case. Much less downtime means extra productive time. You’ll additionally by no means have to go to the servo once more, in concept – you would possibly even develop a more healthy eating regimen than chocolate milk and sausage rolls on the way in which to work!
However significantly, the price of electrical energy for the aware purchaser will make this a much more reasonably priced car to personal and function than a diesel or petrol van, significantly for owner-operators who cost in a single day or off photo voltaic at dwelling.
Larger companies with back-to-base setups will even profit considerably – think about how a lot much less paperwork there’d be with out gas playing cards!
CarExpert’s Tackle the LDV eDeliver 7
The LDV eDeliver 7 isn’t an ideal van, however it’s going to be the proper software to upset the class because the mainstream manufacturers lag behind within the shift in the direction of electrification.
With some fantastic sprucing it could be an excellent higher factor, and that’s saying one thing.
Primarily based on first impressions, the eDeliver 7 is a compelling selection for companies and patrons are able to make the transfer to an electrical work car – whether or not you intend to purchase one, 10, or 100.
BUY: LDV eDeliver 7
MORE: Everything LDV eDeliver 7