Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched its first fully electric van in the UK.
Developed in collaboration with VW Group vehicle tuner ABT e-Line, the zero-emission ABT eTransporter 6.1 starts from £42,060.
Designed for urban logistics, the van offers an all-electric range of up to 82 miles with cargo space of 6.7m3 and and payload of up to 1,001kg.
With its zero-emission status, the ABT eTransporter 6.1 IS exempt from road tax as well as ultra low emission zone and clean air zone charges.
A Combined Charging System (CCS) socket enables charging via both AC and DC, which means the vehicle can achieve 80% charge in 45 minutes using a CCS (DC charging) plug, or in five and a half hours using a Type 2 charging cable via a wallbox.
A lightweight electric motor connected to a lithium-ion battery delivers a maximum power output of 110PS (83kW) and 0-62mph time of 17.4 seconds.
The battery, which is connected to power electronics that supply energy to both the on-board electronics and the electric motor, is fitted underneath the load area to avoid compromising the cargo area.
The vehicle is also fitted with regenerative braking, switching the drive motor to generator operation to recover energy lost when braking.
The resulting current is fed back into the battery and stored for later use.
The driver is able to see the battery status from the instrument cluster, where the usual rev counter dial has been replaced with a power meter.
When the needle is in the green, the battery is being charged by recuperating energy that would otherwise be lost during braking.
The blue area denotes the optimum speeds and acceleration for the most economical driving, while the charge level indicator states the current charge in the battery.
What’s more, the ABT eTransporter 6.1 features a modified DSG dual clutch transmission. When Drive (D) is selected, the motor delivers 75% power, with a kickdown function on the gear shift providing 100% power and torque.
Inside, the ABT eTransporter 6.1 is equipped as standard with a DAB+ radio system with 6.5-inch touchscreen and four loudspeakers, SD card slot, Bluetooth handsfree and two USB interfaces (type-C) in the dashboard.
Volkswagen AppConnect, which allows users to bring smartphone apps onto the vehicle’s infotainment system’s touchscreen, is also standard alongside a suite of driver assistance systems, including Front Assist with City Emergency Braking System, rear parking sensors and Crosswind Assist.
Pricing (excluding VAT) starts from £42,060, with the Advance trim from £45,360. The kombi crew van and kombi crew van Advance are priced from £46,375 and £49,985, respectively.
Advance trim adds design, comfort and safety options, including 17” alloy wheels, electrically foldable door mirrors, automatic LED headlights, rain sensing windscreen wipers, heated windshield, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and front and rear parking sensors.
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