2024 LDV eDeliver 7 electric van review: Australian first drive

LDV is aiming to rattle the cages of the big-name van brands, with a new circa-$60K electric van about the size of a HiAce, Staria Load or Transit Custom – but it undercuts the electric Merc Vito by about $30K.

Meet the LDV eDeliver 7.

JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing and features
• Safety
• On the road
• Key rivals
• Should I put it on my shortlist?
• Specifications

Pricing and features

When LDV launched here, the idea of a circa-$60K mid-size van from the brand seemed crazy.

However, with prices for diesel rivals always rising, LDV has taken an aggressive approach that will appeal to small businesses and big fleets alike, with a range of four different styles of eDeliver 7 van on offer – including two body heights and two battery capacities, listed below.

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All have 11kW AC charging (between 8.0 and 9.5 hours to charge from 5-100%), and the 77kWh models can be recharged on DC at 78kW, while 88kWh models can suck down 90kW DC.

Both will take about 43 mins to charge from 20-80%, LDV says.

Standard equipment highlights include auto LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights, 16-inch steel wheels with a full-size spare and tyre pressure monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, vinyl flooring (rubber floor in cargo area) cloth seat trim, heated front outboard seats, heated steering wheel, 12.3-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and push-button start, and more.

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All versions sold here at launch have just a kerbside sliding door (no option for second slider), and barn doors at the rear.

Rear glazing is not available, and you can’t have it with a tailgate instead. There’s also no bulkhead option, but an accessory cargo barrier is available.

LDV eDeliver 7 warranty & servicing

Buyers get a five-year / 160,000km warranty, plus an eight-year / 250,000km battery warranty.

Capped price servicing is $1165 for six years / 90,000km of cover with 24-month / 30,000km intervals.

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Safety

No safety rating yet, but LDV is confident of a decent result, given the list of standard safety tech.

That includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep (inc emergency lane-keeping), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reverse camera and parking sensors front and rear. It has six airbags (dual front, front side, curtain).

Other safety systems include a driver fatigue monitoring camera, and speed sign recognition and warning. But, weirdly, no digital speedo!

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On the road

This test was mainly conducted in urban scenarios, with no load. So, some elements of this test might be irrelevant.

The expected good bits include effortless pulling power and urgency when you suddenly thump the throttle, even in the sedate Eco mode. Normal is quicker, and Power is damn-near zesty in its response.

No engine vibration or noise, of course, and that will be music to the ears of drivers who spend all day in their van. No transmission quirks, either, as the single-speed auto delivers predictable propulsion. Only real concern here is the shifter placement, which is where you might be used to indicating, not reversing.

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NOTE: As a media launch event, photos in this review are supplied. No driving photos were provided.

The load-free drive showcased that this is a van that designed for dealing with weight, with a firm ride in both the SWB and LWB models.

The latter was a bit more settled over little bumps, but both would undoubtedly be more comfortable with a payload onboard.

Its steering is nicely accurate for parking moves and for negotiating roundabouts and the like, and it feels stable and controlled at higher pace in straighter lines. Upgrading away from the Giti Van tyres might be an easy place for the keener courier to start with improvements, as they aren’t the grippiest.

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The eDeliver 7 has front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera as standard, but it’s surprising to learn there is no surround-view system.

It would be a huge advantage, and it’s standard in UK-spec models. The absence of a surround camera means those panels in the back make parking a bit of a guessing game in some situations.

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Key rivals

An electric van that’s about this size? There’s only the Mercedes eVito at this point, and it’s $91,051 (MSRP). Ford will add an e-Transit Custom in 2024, but pricing is TBC.

If slightly smaller might work for you, there’s the Peugeot e-Partner at $59,990 (MSRP) or the Renault Kangoo e-Tech, from $61,990 (MSRP).

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Should I put the LDV eDeliver 7 on my shortlist?

Yes. For buyers thinking an EV could be their next work vehicle, this is well worth a test drive. You might be very surprised.

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Dimensions