This may not be a commercial vehicle year for the famous IAA international motor show in Hannover, Germany, however, that hasn‘t stopped a couple of vehicle manufacturers from this week showing off some lighter workhorses at what is in 2019 a passenger-car expo.

The first of these is Mercedes-Benz Vans, which has followed up the eSprinter and eVito electric vans with its third fully electric van, the EQV. Based on the luxurious, recently refreshed V-Class range of people movers, the EQV is also the latest member of the brand‘s EQ family of electric vehicles. It is naturally aimed at creating emission-free mobility for a range of people-moving tasks. Mercedes-Benz singles out VIP shuttle services as a market sector that will particularly benefit from the ‘quiet and comfortable driving experience‘.

Among the EQV‘s attributes is a 405km range and a high-volt lithium-ion battery that can be rapidly charged from 10 to 80 percent in fewer than 45 minutes.

Another vehicle to make its debut at the IAA this year (and probably more in line with the sentiments of New Zealand Trucking‘s readers) is the latest creation from the London EV Company (LEVC), the Chinese-owned manufacturer of the new, electric, London black cabs.

Yep, the company has taken the architecture and e-City range extender technology that underpins the LEVC TX Taxi and created a ‘distribution-to-door‘ solution for European transport operators. 

The company says that the vehicle is ideal for those who travel around 160km a day between out-of-town depots and city centres, where its full electric mode will meet the ultra-low emissions zone requirements of an increasing number of major European cities. According to the company, this is currently a sector of the market dominated by one-tonne, medium-sized diesel vans.

The electric range is quoted as 129km and the combined petrol and electric range is 607km.

While the zero-emission LCV will only hit the market in 2020, the company claims it will target best-in-class total cost of ownership, thanks to savings in fuel and servicing over conventional vans with internal combustion engines. LEVC has tested the new van to ‘the world‘s highest durability standards‘, adapting its million-mile TaxiDur test for the new vehicle.

Good news for drivers who have to contend with the tight confines of the city, it will share the iconic black cab‘s famous and class-leading turning circle.