2021 Maxus E-Deliver 3 Review: For Your Business E-Van Needs

[This article was first published on carbuyer.com.sg]

Businesses in Singapore looking to electrify their commercial fleet now have a new option with the Maxus E-Deliver 3

You might be wondering why you’re reading about a van in these pages. Nope, you’ve not stepped into an alternate dimension where this publication has become VanBuyer.

The Maxus E-Deliver 3 is being featured here because of what powers it. 2021 is shaping up to be the year when electrification comes on in a big way in Singapore, and the presence of an electric commercial light goods vehicle (LGV) like the Maxus is especially relevant in light of the push towards an all-electric vehicle fleet here by 2040.

More so given that the Maxus is one out of just three fully-electric van models you can currently buy in Singapore, the other two being the Renault Kangoo ZE and the BYD T3.

But the Maxus isn’t just competing with those two. It has to appeal to companies and fleet owners switching from regular petrol and diesel vans as well. Does going electric mean cheaper running costs? And is it worth the effort to make the switch?

Cost

Cost is of course the key consideration for any business. Companies need to take into account not just the initial outlay, but also the overall running costs of their fleet.

As it stands, the Maxus E-Deliver 3 currently retails for S$68,999 without COE. Adding in the COE would bring its on-the-road price to over S$100,000, but you can claw much of that back once the Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme (CVES) kicks in on 1 April, as the Maxus is entitled to a full S$30,000 rebate under the scheme, payable over the first three years of the van’s ownership.

Given that electricity costs less than fuel here in Singapore, it stands to reason that running an electric van would be cheaper than a regular petrol or diesel one. And the table below illustrates our point, based upon an annual mileage of 29,500km annually, or around 80km a day in Singapore:

For comparison, these are the Maxus’ figures:

An electric van has less running parts too, with only regular wear and tear components like brakes and tyres to take care of, so overall maintenance costs should be much lower as well. This also means less downtime for your fleet, resulting in even greater productivity for your business.

Usability

So the Maxus works as an electric vehicle, but how does it fare as a van? One of the major selling points of the E-Deliver 3 is its cargo capacity, and in this area, the Maxus does outshine the other two electric vans on the market right now.

The Maxus has a cargo volume of 4,800 litres, and a payload capacity of 905kg. This is well above the Kangoo’s figures of 4,600 litres and 650kg, as well as the BYD T3’s 3,800 litres and 700kg. That gives the Maxus quite the advantage for businesses that require their vans to do heavy duty hauling.

In terms of range, Maxus claims that the E-Deliver 3 can travel up to 240km on a full charge. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but then again, given that the average LGV does only about 80km a day in Singapore, that should be more than adequate.

Besides, it might be easier for industrial users to install charging boxes at their premises as compared to a residential user, so charging up the van might not pose as much of a problem. Maxus says that E-Deliver 3 can get a full top up in 8 hours using an AC charger, but if you require fast charging, the van can get an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes using a DC charger as well.

Cycle & Carriage, Maxus’ official dealer here in Singapore, doesn’t offer a proprietary charging system with the purchase of the E-Deliver 3, but says that if required, they can link customers up with the appropriate suppliers based on their individual business needs.

Drive, Features & Conclusion

The E-Deliver 3 is actually quite a sizeable van, at 4,555mm long and 1,780mm wide. Thus manoeuvring it can be a bit tricky if one is unfamiliar with large vans. The large blind spots means that one needs to be extra alert when changing lanes, and the standard rear view camera is pretty much an essential piece of equipment to aid you with reversing.

Given its electric drivetrain, the E-Deliver 3 does help you get up to speed pretty briskly, although its claimed top speed is rated at just 120km/h. It’s still a commercial vehicle though, so there’s that speed warning chime that starts beeping at 70km/h, constantly reminding you of what you’re driving and to stay within the legal limits.

It’ll probably be easier to set the cruise control to 70km/h and go about your merry way. And for a van, the Maxus is surprisingly well-equipped. Highlights include heated mirrors and heated seats (the button for which is oddly located on the floor, easily activated with a light kick), while C&C says that customer vehicles will get Apple CarPlay connectivity, an item not found on the test drive vehicle.

But ultimately, those features are but bonuses. The greatest appeal of the Maxus E-Deliver 3 is the overall lower operating costs that comes from going the electric route. Getting a substantial rebate upfront, plus the prospect of lower running costs should be an enticing enough carrot for many businesses to bite.

[Source article: carbuyer.com.sg/2021-maxus-e-deliver-3-review-singapore-price-new]