Maxus E Deliver 9 – Fully Electric Van Rivervale Review

Is this the real life, is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide no escape from reality. Open your eyes look up to the skies and see…

We all know that these are the opening lyrics to arguably one of the best songs ever ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen, but what does this have to do with Electric vans you may well ask.

Well, Ian Greene (Head of Fleet Management at Brighton & Hove City Council) is finally seeing his dreams become reality. Ian is responsible for the 411 vehicles that are operated by the council and he is spearheading the council’s quest to become carbon neutral by 2030.

To the untrained eye it sounds simple, just buy electric vehicles, but believe me, it is not that easy. Take vans for example. Ian would have needed to consider what job the vehicle will do, whether it is a standard van or a specialised conversion, what distance it will cover and how and where it will need to be re-charged. Add that to the fact that a lot of the models are just not available yet.

So where do Rivervale fit into Ian’s “road to zero” plan? I’m pleased you asked. So, Rivervale has been known over the years for being the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Brighton and a damn good one at that, but they have not had the three-pointed star above the door since 2003. These days they are predominately a multi-franchise leasing operation, a used car dealership, a Bosch Car Service Centre and now a Maxus Commercial vehicle franchise.

Why Maxus?

Well Maxus is owned by SAIC Motor, the largest vehicle manufacturer in China and they have launched a full range of exciting Electric vans into the UK.

“Exciting” and “vans” does not normally go together however, when you realise that we are at the start of the EV Revolution which will see the conventional internal combustion engines (ICE) being phased out and the new EV’s packed with the latest technology start to appear on our streets.

The eDeliver9 Review

Watch the video to see Rivervale Chief Operating Officer Vince Pemberton take the eDeliver9 for a test drive where he covers off range, payload, comfort and much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCRSIDfP400&t=2s

Brighton and Hove City Council

Ian Greene and Brighton and Hove City Council are well on their way and have a plan on how they are going to get their fleet to become carbon neutral.

The first of many Maxus Electric Vans have been ordered and now delivered in the shape of a Long Wheelbase Maxus eDeliver9. This van has a range of up to 219 miles and can carry up to 1160kgs depending on which model you choose. This first vehicle has had a full jet wash conversion before being deployed to tackle graffiti removal in the city.

Ian recently got behind the wheel of the brand new eDeliver9 and here is what he thought.

“I had the great pleasure driving the eDeliver9 for the first time yesterday. The drive was flawless and felt very calming. In my time I have driven almost every type of van on the market. The quality of drive with the eDeliver9 was more than ever expected, I would go on to say it was one of the best drives in a van. I have sampled some of the electric vans currently on the market, the eDeliver9 is the best!”

Check out Vince’s video review to see what he thinks of eDeliver9.

All types of businesses will need to consider replacing some of their vans with electric and they will know that there is a lot to get your head around. Initially they cost more but you do need to look a bit deeper. There is a government grant of up to £6,000 available to help offset some of the initial cost, then you need to look at the cost savings in relation to the cost of electric versus diesel or petrol plus there is no charge for entering ‘Clean Air Zones’ (CAZ) or the “Ultra Low Emission Zone” (ULEZ). These clean air zones are only going to be more commonplace as the Government continues to work towards the Net Zero target by 2030.

If you would like to know more about the road to zero and how we can help whether its vans or finance plans to acquire vans please just contact us on 01273 433480