Volkswagen e-Crafter electric van review

The Volkswagen e-Crafter was unveiled as a concept at a commercial vehicle show in Hanover in 2016, and two years later this large electric van – based on the VW Crafter – hit the road.

The first e-Crafters were trialled across Europe, with testers including Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Southwark. After the trials concluded, the e-Crafter went on sale in the UK, but there was a catch: you could only get it in left-hand-drive form.

It's driven by a 134bhp electric motor with power from a 35kW battery. That gives it an official range of 107 miles, which is not particularly impressive these days, and the real-world range is likely to be less than that.

The e-Crafter went off sale in the UK in 2022, and is not expected to return until at least 2026, when it could return in a new version developed in a partnership between VW and Ford. It would share underpinnings with the Ford e-Transit in the same way as the latest Ford Ranger and the VW Amarok are related.

So, other than the potentially troublesome issue of not being able to get a right-hand-drive version, should you be considering the VW e-Crafter for your work needs? Or are you better off looking at the e-Transit, or one of the other rivals out there? They include the Maxus eDeliver 9, the Mercedes eSprinter or the Renault Master E-Tech.

In this review we'll cover its performance and handling, practicality, runnings costs and more. Once you've picked your next commercial vehicle, remember we can help you find the best leasing deals – simply search the What Car? Leasing pages.

The VW Crafter is an excellent large van to drive, and adding a 35kW battery beneath the floor – and therefore lowering the centre of gravity – has actually made it feel even more planted and stable.

As in the diesel version, the e-Crafter's steering is sharp – if a little light – and the ride is velvety soft. The biggest giveaway that you're driving an electric van is the absence of noise, because diesel engines in vans are usually quite noisy things.

The upside of them is that they help to drown out the noise of the road and the wind, but neither of these things are overly intrusive in the e-Crafter. Its 134bhp motor is bang in the middle of the regular diesel range in terms of power output. (We recommend the 138bhp engine with the diesel version.)

The uninterrupted, instantaneous torque from its motor makes it quick and smooth. In many ways, it’s the ultimate urban van, although that's just as well, because it's limited to 56mph – part of the reason why a range of more than 100 miles is possible.

Charging takes 5.5 hours from a wall charger, but the battery is capable of rapid-charging to 80% of capacity in 45 minutes. The final 20% will take 20 minutes more.

The interior of the e-Crafter is almost exactly the same as that of the regular VW Crafter. There’s not even a stitch or a badge to mark it out: the only difference is the instrument dials (it has the same readouts as the VW e-Golf).

But having the same interior is no problem, because it means storage is plentiful, with three open-top compartments, two cupholders and a central storage compartment in the spilt-level dashboard.

It also has large door pockets suitable for water bottles and there’s a fold down tray in the back of the central seat that doubles up as extra storage.

The e-Crafter also gets a heated driver's seat, which is increasingly common on electric vans in order to save using the heater, which would adversely impact range.

Just one size of e-Crafter is available, rather than the three lengths and three roof heights of the regular VW Crafter.

The e-Crafter is a medium-wheelbase, high-roof van capable of transporting 10.7m³ with a maximum load length of 3450mm, a width of 1380mm and a loadspace height of 1861mm.

Payload is 970kg for a 3.5-tonne van, but there are higher-capacity vans at larger gross vehicle weights, giving a maximum possible payload of 1750kg.

In comparison, the Renault Master E-Tech has a 975kg payload and the option of six different body lengths, providing capacities from 8m³ to 13m³.

Volkswagen estimates that most van drivers only cover between 40 and 60 miles per day – and those figures come from analysing more than 210,000 different driver profiles from 1500 customers. Providing you have a regular place to charge the e-Crafter, then, its official 100-mile range is unlikely to be an issue.

Crucially, costs are also competitive, particularly when you consider monthly contract hire rates relative to other large electric vans.

If you buy outright, however, the e-Crafter will cost you about double the price of a diesel-engined VW Crafter. Once you've made the purchase, though, you'll benefit from reduced operating costs and lower maintenance. It's also worth remembering that various government grants can lower the e-Crafter's cost by as much as £8000.

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About the author

George Barrow is one of the leading van and truck reviewers, and is the UK’s only representative on the prestigious International Van of the Year jury. He has written about vans and commercial vehicles for the past 15 years, and can be found in titles including The Sun and What Van?, alongside What Car?.

Barrow is well regarded in the commercial vehicle industry, securing access to the latest models – and the people who made them – long before other titles.