Driven: Iveco eDaily
eMobility is the name of the game in the automotive industry – with anything and everything from scooters to long-haul trucks and buses going down electric avenue. Vans are especially suited to eMobility – since they often don’t cover vast distances. Recently, we got to drive the Iveco eDaily in Italy.
Introducing the eDaily
The eDaily is produced by Iveco, an Italian company that designs and builds light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. South African transport operators know both the company and the Daily very well. The vehicle was first launched in 1978 and, at the time, the Daily revolutionised light commercial transport with its truck-derived chassis with rear traction and independent front suspension, which give it its unique versatility, reliability and efficiency.
Now we have the eDaily and, as the Iveco team says, “it’s the same Daily you’re used to; just electric”. That may well be oversimplifying the launch of this advanced and easy-to-drive van. As James Dallas, Editor of What Van?, said when announcing that the eDaily had won the coveted What Van? One to Watch award: “The eDaily is packed with useful features, including the ability to power auxiliary equipment. Available from 3.5 to 7.2-tonnes, the electric Daily matches the load-carrying capabilities of its ICE counterparts and can be specified with one to three batteries, giving it a range of up to 400 km. Iveco’s new electric Daily van represents a transformation from the brand’s previous foray into the plug-in market.”
The truck in a nutshell
The eDaily comes in van, cab, crew cab, chassis cowl, cutaway and people mover versions, with single wheels on 3.5 tonne, 3.8 tonne, 4.25 tonne derivatives and twin wheels on 4.25 tonne, 5.2 tonne, 6 tonne and 7.2 tonne GVM versions. As Dallas mentioned, the eDaily offers the game-changing opportunity to install different types of ePTOs up to 15kW. This means that it can power refrigeration units, cranes and other superstructures – even the most demanding ones such as waste collection and aerial platforms.
Exterior
The eDaily’s exterior is very similar to that of its ICE cousin. Look carefully though and you will see the charging point in the centre of the vehicle’s nose. This is a very good place to put it – because then you can charge from the front or either side of the vehicle. Behind the flap, which protects the plug from water and dust, there’s an LED indicator that shows the status and level of charge.
Another differentiating factor is the battery pack. On offer is a modular installation of one, two or three batteries with no element protruding above the frame – which is ideal for the installation of superstructures on the cab and allows for a load capacity of up to 20m3 on the van.
Interior
The eDaily’s interior is great. It looks fairly premium and it is practical too. For instance, there are loads of storage areas and there’s a nifty clipboard that attaches to the steering wheel. It’s a comfortable place to be – and we really like the Air-Pro intelligent pneumatic suspension, which reduces vibration by 25%.
The eDaily is, of course, fully connected and this enables the optimisation of range, drivability and uptime – as well as the remote control of charging operations and climate control. Pre-conditioning brings the vehicle to the ideal cabin temperature while it is still connected to the charging socket. That’s rather nice on particularly hot or cold days.
Drivetrain
The performance is in line with the ICE version: 140kW (190CV) max power, 400Nm max torque and up to 120km/h maximum speed. Driveability is of course improved by the instant torque delivery of the eMotor. When extra power is needed, drivers can take advantage of an additional boost by activating the eDaily’s distinctive Hi-Power function. I found it very handy when overtaking.
I really enjoyed flooring the accelerator and enjoying the torque that’s available from the get-go. If you want to be more responsible, though, energy use can be optimised thanks to the Driving Mode Selector – which allows the driver to choose between extracting maximum power or minimising power usage. The eDaily’s One-Pedal Drive mode makes driving easier and converts brake kinetic energy into electricity, thus reducing energy consumption and brakepad wear. There’s a City Mode button on the dashboard that can reduce steering effort by as much as 70% in urban environments.
The eDaily can be recharged at public chargers, industrial sockets and domestic sockets. Charging options include fast charging at 80kW, which adds up to 100 km of range in just 30 minutes. Charging can be fully managed via a dedicated and extremely easy to use app.
Safety
As is the case with most new vehicles, safety features abound. Features include an Electronic Stability Programme, ABS, an Anti-Slip Regulator, Hydraulic Brake Assist, and Hill Holder, which provides assistance to the driver by stopping a vehicle from rolling back when pulling away on an incline.
Verdict
The eDaily is something really special. It is the only electric LCV with up to 4.6 tonnes of payload, up to 20.3m3 of cargo volume and the same towing capacity as a diesel vehicle. It is fabulous to drive and equally rewarding to own (maintenance costs are halved versus a diesel derivative). The 400 km range is very good. It comes with a best-in-class warranty proposition on high-voltage batteries: up to eight years, with long mileage limits and guaranteed battery replacement when natural decay limits the capacity to 80% or less.
As we all know, South Africa is a price-sensitive market, and we also have electricity issues (to put it mildly). So, market acceptance here will depend on pricing and, dare we say it, Eskom’s ability to do its job. If the pricing is reasonable, electricity is available and a charging network is established, I have absolutely no doubt that the eDaily would be a phenomenal success here.
