Volkswagen’s first electric commercial vehicle in production arrives at the Autobahn.
In January 2018, the delivery of the Volkswagen e-Crafter began. The German automaker handed over the first units to an international group that included major customers from Germany and Great Britain. It is the first mass-produced electric vehicle that the company has ever produced. This was a significant milestone in its history. It’s not popular.
The machine isn’t a big seller even in Europe. Its base price is EUR66,500 (or $76,900 at current exchange rates). This video, which is a bit boring at first glance, shows the eCrafter’s full potential on the Autobahn. Although you won’t be impressed with the performance, there are some things worth noting.
Let’s start with the numbers. The e-Crafter shares its 35.8-kWh lithium-ion battery with the e-Golf. It can travel approximately 100 miles (160 km) on two charges. The electric powertrain is capable of producing 136 horsepower (100 megawatts), which allows it to reach a top speed 56 mph (90 km/h). This is the factory number. However, you can see that the maximum speed is higher than this limit in the video at top of the page.
Although the van is large, acceleration is good from a stop. However, it appears that there is not much cargo space. The e-Crafter can reach speeds of around 62 mph (100 kph) once it reaches the Autobahn’s unrestricted sections. It’s sufficient for a delivery van but it makes changing lanes difficult. It’s also fascinating to see the battery gauge as the van loses about a quarter of its charge within nine minutes of driving.
The electric Crafter isn’t designed to go at high speeds. Instead, it can be used as a list-mile delivery vehicle. The e-Crafter can charge to 80 percent at a 40-kW CCS station in 45 minutes. This is an acceptable charging speed for an older-tech electric vehicle.