Chinese carmaker LDV is making a big play for delivery drivers with its eDeliver 9 electric van.
2023 LDV eDeliver 9 Electric Van
LDV’s three-pronged assault on electrification is in full swing. As well as Australia’s first electric ute – the eT60 – and the luxurious Mifa 9 electric people mover, LDV has tripled down on EVs with the 2023 eDeliver 9 delivery van.
In some ways, an electric delivery van makes the most sense of the three vehicles in LDV’s EV line-up.
Delivery vans spend much of their time in an urban environment, making short trips from point to point to distribute their cargo before returning to base at the end of the day where they can spend the night recharging ready for the next day.
| Key details | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB Mid Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB High Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 L4 Cab Chassis |
| Price | $116,537 | $118,836 | $99,990 |
LDV is offering three variants in the eDeliver 9 range – Long Wheelbase Mid Roof, Long Wheelbase High Roof and Cab Chassis.
The Long Wheelbase variants are equipped with an 88.55kWh battery giving 280km (mid-roof) and 275km (high roof) driving range respectively, the Cab Chassis features a smaller 65kWh battery and a driving range if 150km.
Motivation for all three vans comes via a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 150kW and 310Nm to the front wheels.
Charging times vary. LDV says using a three-phase AC charger will take around eight hours to recharge the battery from five to 100 per cent with a maximum charge rate of 11kW although thanks to its smaller battery array, the Cab Chassis can be replenished in 6.5 hours.
Using a DC fast-charger sees those times tumble, LDV quoting around 45 minutes from 20-80 per cent.
LDV says packaging the batteries has not impacted on cargo space. The cubic capacity of the LWB mid-roof is a claimed 10.97m3 while the High Roof offers 12.33m3. Payload is rated at 1410kg for the mid-roof and 1350kg for High Roof.
| 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB Mid Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB High Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 L4 Cab Chassis | |
| Seats | Three | Three | Three |
| Payload | 1410kg | 1350kg | 1960kg |
| Length | 5940mm | 5940mm | 6680mm |
| Width | 2062mm | 2062mm | 2052mm |
| Height | 2545mm | 2765mm | 2052mm |
| Wheelbase | 3760mm | 3760mm | 4048mm |
Pricing for eDeliver 9 LWB Mid Roof starts at $116,537 rising to $118,836 for the LWB High Roof. The Cab chassis starts at $99,990.
LDV afforded us the opportunity to drive the LDV eDeliver 9, albeit very briefly. Our short 12-minute road loop provided a taste of what delivery drivers can expect from the electric van.
And the news is good, the eDeliver 9 driving pretty, much like a delivery van.
Acceleration is decent, no better or worse than other van we’ve driven recently. Like we experienced in the eT60 dual-cab ute, there’s something incongruous about driving a van where the hum of an electric motor replaces the usual clatter of diesel. But it’s also not unpleasant.
Wind and road noise does become a bit more prevalent and the empty cargo area resonates with road noise. But then, that’s true of all vans.
The cabin is thoughtful with enough little features – such as the overhead document trays – we’ve come to expect from vans of this type.
The ride is brittle, but that’s to be expected in an empty van. A full load should see go some way to mitigating that some harshness.
It’s decently equipped too, with. A 10.1-inch touchscreen running Apple CarPlay (although not Android Auto), and Bluetooth streaming.
Safety tech includes autonomous emergency braking, Bosch Electronic Stability Control system, lane departure warning, and a full suite of six airbags.
There’s also adaptive cruise control, hill-hold assist and the two LWB vans score front and rear parking sensors while the Cab Chassis makes do with front sensors only.
| At a glance | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB Mid Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB High Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 L4 Cab Chassis | |
| Warranty | Five years, 160,000km | Five years, 160,000km | Five years, 160,000km | |
| Battery warranty | Eight years, 160,000km | Eight years, 160,000km | Eight years, 160,000km | |
| Service intervals | 24 months or 30,000km | 24 months or 30,000km | 24 months or 30,000km | |
| Energy cons. (claimed) | 33.9kWh/100km | 34.5kWh/100km | NA | |
| Battery size | 88.55kWh | 88.55kWh | 65kWh | |
| Driving range claim (WLTP) | 280km | 275km | 150km (with large box fitted) | |
| Charge time (11kW) | 12h | 12h | 12h | |
| Charge time (max rate 80kW) | 45m (20–80%) | 45m (20–80%) | 45m (20–80%) |
Strangely, and perhaps it’s because these were pre-production models, but there was no rear-view mirror fitted in the cabin of the eDeliver 9 LWB we drove at launch. One could argue that with a full load of cargo on board, visibility through the back windows is non-existent. But still, a rear-view mirror is crucial, in our opinion.
| Key details | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB Mid Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 LWB High Roof | 2023 LDV eDeliver9 L4 Cab Chassis |
| Engine | Permanent magnet synchronous motor | Permanent magnet synchronous motor | Permanent magnet synchronous motor |
| Power | 150kW | 150kW | 150kW |
| Torque | 310Nm | 310Nm | 310Nm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight | 2640kg | 2700kg | 2090kg |
| Tow rating | 1500kg braked | 1500kg braked | 1200kg braked |
| Turning circle | 14.8m | 14.8m | 15.8m |
Overall, we can see a solid case for the eDeliver 9. It has a driving range that’s within the realms of daily use and overnight-friendly charging times. Our short test loop highlighted a driving experience in line with internal combustion engine vans, and that’s no bad thing.
As we constantly say, an EV is not everyone. Yet. But for those where an EV does make senses, the eDeliver 9 provides a decent alternative to the traditional van.
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