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LDV eDeliver 7 2024 review
Likes
Perfect size and hauling capacity
Seemingly solid driving range
Ultra-low running costs on paper
Dislikes
Single door layout and no V2L
No factory-backed fit-out options
Might be too expensive for individuals
What's the best vehicle to electrify? If you said your hatchback or small SUV at home, you might be wrong.
You see, while you were doing your 30-40km daily average commute, a delivery or small business van like the ones in LDV's range do more like 150km a day, and it's a segment pretty much dominated by diesel.
In an unusual electric-first move, this China-backed commercial specialist has aimed to shake the segment up with its next-gen van, the eDeliver 7.
Not only is it larger than the G10 it may one day replace, but it packs a robust set of specs at a not-outrageous price.
Is it the perfect light commercial offering to shake the HiAce? And does going electric now mean you're compromising on range or specs? Read on to find out.
The LDV eDeliver 7 is offered in three body styles and with the choice of two battery packs.
There's a short-wheelbase, long-wheelbase, and a long-wheelbase with a high-roof, but if you were hoping to customise further you're out of luck.
The eDeliver 7 range is offered with just one pre-set door layout, a kerbside sliding door and barn doors at the rear.
The two battery packs measure in at 77kWh or 88kWh offering ranges between 310km and 365km depending on bodystyle.
We'll talk more on range later (it should be sufficient for most operators), but you should also know the short-wheelbase version can only be chosen with the 77kWh battery, while the long-range 88kWh battery is the only option for the long-wheelbase with a high-roof. Check the table below for more.
LDV eDeliver 7 ABN MSRP
| SWB | LWB | LWB High-roof | |
| 77kWh | $59,990 | $61,990 | -- |
| 88kWh | -- | $64,990 | $66,990 |
Pricing is keen. Yes, the eDeliver 7 costs between $10,000-$15,000 more than most of its combustion rivals, but this pretty much accounts for the cost of its batteries and is about industry standard.
It also helps to get you off a dependence on diesel and in a key factor for some bigger corporate entities which may be required to budget for these, it has zero driving emissions.
Potential cost savings move beyond just not requiring a re-fuel either, with electric benefits when it comes to servicing. Again, more on this later.
Another bonus is the entire range comes in just one highly-specified trim level, cutting complexity.
Included are pragmatic 16-inch steel wheels and LED headlights, but the interior is more impressive with a new 12.3-inch multimedia screen.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, but it also seems pretty sharp and quick with refreshingly straightforward base software on it.
Other relative luxuries for the van segment include a standard heated steering wheel with leather trim, heated outboard seats, and a half-way decent information panel between the quaint analogue dials which make up the instrument cluster.
It's a van with a classic box silhouette and sturdy lines, and aside from it looking quite fresh what more do you need to know?
Sure, there are more interesting options on the market, like the boldly styled Hyundai Staria, and soon you'll also be able to choose the quirky VW ID.Buzz, but the eDeliver 7 at least moves things forward for LDV from the dated-looking G10.
This is largely thanks to a slick, EV-ready face with filled-in stylised ventilation holes, and around the rear it's finished nicely thanks to vertical brake light fittings and an almost spoiler-like piece across the top. It's at worst inoffensive and at best modern-looking.
The same can be said for the interior. It's pragmatic but not dreary. Obviously the screens help to brighten the space, but there's also a blue contrast piece finished in synthetic leather running across the dash in a nice contrast to the hard plastics everywhere else, and the lower section being dominated by a hardy rubberised floor finish.
Great for those who are going to chuck tools down here and whatever else.
Practicality in the cabin is decent if not stellar. There is an array of door pockets suited for different things, two large bottle holders at either extreme of the dash where it meets the doors, a standard-sized glove box, a flip-out storage cubby/ashtray with a 12-volt outlet and a small tray next to the steering wheel.
The front is only offered in a three-seat layout, which is nice to have, and the middle seat has a drop-down divider to convert it into a centre console with two cupholders, a storage tray, and an elastic tie-down seemingly perfect for laptops or folios.
The left-hand side and centre positions also have a large storage area underneath the seat bases, which pop out for easy access. Great for storing tools, perfect for charging cables.
The driver's seat also offers decent adjustability, but there are a few things missing. There's no telescopic adjust for the steering wheel, no volume knob for the touchscreen, no physical headlight controls (both are accessed via the touchscreen) and a limited set of shortcut buttons and dials for the climate functions. There are also no overhead storage cubbies which you usually see on vans in this class.
As previously mentioned, there is only one door scheme available, the sliding door on the kerb-side, and barn doors at the rear, so if you were hoping to have sliding doors on both sides and/or a liftgate, these aren't options currently.
As it is, the barn doors feature a trick hinge and are able to open out to 180-degrees for the loading of full-width objects.
The existing space is suitably voluminous, with 5.9 cubic metres on offer on the base SWB Low Roof (a touch smaller than a base HiAce LWB), 6.7 cubic metres for the long-wheelbase, or a quite large 8.7 cubic metres in the high-roof version. All versions get six tie-down points in the rear.
As it is, the load area is clad in a mix of plastic boards down the sides and a soft linoleum style floor. LDV doesn't offer further factory fit-out options like some of its rivals.
The HiAce and Staria, for example, offer the option of glass windows instead of solid panels, options for roof fixtures, lattices for the fixing of work equipment as well as various cladding choices to protect the interior panel work.
LDV says most of its existing G10 owners go to town adding their own mounting systems and interior fittings, but it would be nice to have some of these as a factory-fitted option covered by the same warranty as the van itself.
If you're thinking the massive batteries required to give the eDeliver 7 its sufficient driving range will eat into your payload, you might be surprised.
The legal carrying capacity ranges between an impressive 1350kg for the base SWB down to 1175kg for the high-roof version.
You might note this is better than the HiAce and the Staria Load which hover at a little over 1000kg each. Braked towing capacity, which is rare for an EV is also rated at 1500kg braked or 750kg unbraked. Not bad.
One big disappointment is the lack of V2L or an internal three-pin outlet. What better way to maximise the utility of this car's high-voltage systems than offer tradies a way to power their tools and equipment using the van itself. A missed opportunity for sure.
Owners and operators will no doubt want to know the specifics of this van's dimensions, so see those in the table below
LDV eDeliver 7 dimensions and capacities
| SWB | LWB (77kWh/88kWh) | LWB high-roof | |
| Dimensions (mm) | 4998L x 2323W x 1990H | 5364L x 2323W x 1990H | 5364L x 2323W x 2390H |
| Cargo area (cubic metres) | 5.9 | 6.7 | 8.7 |
| Cargo area (dimensions - mm) | 2547L x 1800W x 1328H | 2913L x 1800W x 1328H | 2913L x 1800W x 1693H |
| Payload (kg) | 1350 | 1285/1205 | 1175 |
There's just one powertrain on offer in the eDeliver 7 range, an electric motor producing 150kW/330Nm, which is pretty even with most diesels in this class.
The eDeliver 7 is front-wheel drive only, but the availability of instant torque makes it feel a fair bit more spritely than much of its competition.
Those who have been following the LDV electrification story might know one of the biggest issues facing this car's larger sibling, the eDeliver 9, is its electric motor is limited to just 90km/h, a recipe for frustration as much of the urban sprawl in Australia is freeway-dependent.
Thankfully, the eDeliver 7 is capable of travelling at up to 120km/h in its Normal or Power drive modes. Eco is limited to 90km/h, but might be good for maxing out range in the daily drive.
The eDeliver 7 also has three levels of regenerative braking adjusted through the central touchscreen to suit the preferences of most drivers.
Driving range should be sufficient for most operators, even with the eDeliver 7 loaded up. Most vans like this do around 150km a day, and with more than double this on all variants in the range, it should be up to the task.
Some private operators who might be doing longer regional trips may want to opt for the diesel version which is set to arrive before the end of 2024.
There is no stated official energy consumption for any eDeliver 7 variant, but the two examples I drove (both a 77kWh SWB and a 88kWh LWB) delivered 21kWh/100km and 19kWh/100km respectively on our roughly 50km drive loop.
This wouldn't be great in a passenger car, but seems fair enough in a van. I am curious to know what it would average over a longer trip and when loaded up to its GVM, so we hope to bring you a more detailed review at a later date.
Charging is provided via a Type 2 CCS charging port, the most common type at fast DC charging locations, and the brand has cleverly specified the batteries so they have the same charging time of approximately 43 minutes (maximum DC charging speed is 78kW on the 77kWh battery, while the 88kWh battery is rated to 90kW).
This could be faster, with most passenger cars now capable of charging at more than 100kW, but it is likely most of these vans, particularly ones on fleets, will be doing the majority of their charging overnight in depots.
On this topic, the eDeliver 7 has a maximum AC charging speed of 11kW, for a 5.0-100 per cent charge time of around eight hours for the 77kWh battery option or 9.3 hours for the 88kWh battery. Just-right for overnight.
The brand also chucks in an 11kW AC charging cable as standard, which is a nice touch.
For the EV enthusiasts the battery packs are sourced from a SAIC and CATL joint-venture, use a LFP chemistry, and debut a new cooling system for the brand.
The trouble the eDeliver 7 faces is the van market is now more competitive than ever when it comes to offering a more car-like driving experience.
The current HiAce, for example, was a huge step forward thanks to it moving the driving position to behind the front axle rather than over it, making for a much more natural driving feel.
Meanwhile, Hyundai's more recently-launched Staria Load is positively SUV-like to drive thanks to it sharing many of its components with the Hyundai passenger car range.
Plus, in the past, SAIC-sourced vehicles like the eDeliver 7 have hardly been known for their driving experience.
Thankfully though, this van is a big step forward. It's slick, it's quiet, it's responsive and rapid, and the steering is weighted just-so.
Even the unladen ride quality is pretty good, thanks to the weight of the under-floor batteries pre-loading what could otherwise be hollow and bouncy springs.
We can't tell you just yet what the eDeliver7 is like to drive loaded up, as our drive loops were covered without anything in the rear. Stay tuned as we'll aim to bring this information to you in a later GVM test review.
With no weight in the eDeliver 7, the electric motor is strong and responsive, with a nice smooth take-off. The three levels of regen are a solid addition, although even the strongest setting is not a single-pedal mode and requires vigilance on the brake pedal in stop-start scenarios.
The seats proved spongy and comfortable across about two hours of driving, and I can imagine what a change of pace not having the constant rattling of a diesel engine must be for someone who drives one of these light commerial vans all day, every day.
The creature comforts, like the large touchscreen and simple instruments are a bonus, too.
Is it as good as its rivals? Having recently driven the excellent Staria Load and a rented HiAce, it's maybe not quite to the same level of absolute driving polish, but it's getting dangerously close to the point where these rivals should be worried.
Perhaps what is most impressive about the eDeliver 7 is not only its comprehensive active safety suite, but the fact the systems were calibrated for Australia.
LDV says it had 13 engineers over from SAIC in China to help calibrate things like lane keep assist, auto emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control specifically for our roads, and the improvement compared to even some Chinese passenger cars is notable.
The lane keep is relatively toned down, and you can tweak the responsiveness of the collision warning system to make it a bit less aggressive.
The only active safety feature which annoys me is the traffic sign assist, which sounds a sharp chime if it thinks you're speeding (even when you aren't because it's picked up a 40km/h sign off the back of a bus or something). Thankfully turning it off is just two clicks away on the multimedia screen.
It's also great our tradie friends aren't left without such refinements as auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and even blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise is a real plus, too.
LDV hasn't submitted the eDeliver 7 for testing yet, but says it plans to and is aiming for a top ANCAP Gold score in the authority's current commercial vehicle rating system.
Elsewhere the eDeliver 7 scores front and rear parking sensors, a wide-angle reversing camera and six airbags (dual front, side, and curtain).
At this point some prospective buyers, particularly those who don't have fleet emissions targets to hit, will be wondering what they might save in terms of running costs.
Apart from the ongoing lower cost of 'fuel', the eDeliver 7 only needs to be serviced once every 24 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first.
That's half as often as most rivals and a quarter as often as the HiAce which has annoying six-monthly service intervals.
Pricing is super low, with a six-year service plan costing $1,166.10. Yes, this only covers three actual services, but to come in even cheaper than Toyota over the same period is quite a feat.
LDV has a frustrating mix of different warranty conditions across its range of vehicles. For the eDeliver 7 it is five-years or 160,000km, with five years of roadside assist included.
The battery warranty is a separate eight-year/250,000km cover.
Verdict
It might be expensive enough to put it out of contention for some individual operators, but there's a lot to like here for fleets looking to minimise their carbon footprint.
The eDeliver 7 is a big step up in design and driveability for LDV, and importantly you're not compromising on space or hauling ability to make the switch to electric. Unless you're really pushing its payload capacity, it seems as though it should also have plenty of driving range for most applications.
Yes, it would be nice to see this van reach its full potential by offering some of those missing features like V2L and alternate door layouts, as well as some factory-backed and warranted fit-out options, but this is a cleverly-specified, well-equipped base van for those willing to spend a little extra to electrify early or decarbonise their fleet.