WINNER
Renault Master E-Tech Electric
It has taken until 2025 for a large van to be made with an electric version properly factored in from the start, such is the length of time that vehicles in this class tend to stay on sale. Up until the launch of the Renault Master E-Tech Electric, we have had to put up with conversions of existing models, which have performed the task to varying degrees of success.
The arrival of the Master has shown what could be done, with Renault having paid particular attention to the aerodynamics. Elements such as this, and the platform that is specifically designed to host an electric powertrain, mean that it is far better at using its battery efficiently than its rivals and its outdated predecessor.
This means that it needn’t have such a huge battery, which means it can carry more stuff, allowing for a crucial balance between one of the best electric ranges in the class at up to 285 miles, but also a payload that is as high as 1,625kg. It might not have loads of clever new tech, but it turns out that marginal gains and making the most of what you have got can go a long way.
To find out more, read the full Renault Master E-Tech Electric review
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Ford E-Transit Custom
It was perhaps inevitable that the electric version of the 2024 Parkers Van of the Year was going to be impressive, and so it has transpired. The Ford E-Transit Custom is another fantastic example of how engineering a van to be electric right from the start can be transformative.
It is one of the few electric vans to offer three power outputs and comes with a huge array of different body shapes and all the excellent innovations that are also available across the rest of the rest of the Transit Custom range. You can even get an MS-RT version, complete with all the stylish accoutrements that you’d expect. Above all that, it’s great to drive and has a fantastic cabin, both in terms of kit and practicality.
To find out more, read the full Ford E-Transit Custom review
Renault Kangoo E-Tech
The Renault Kangoo was the first of the brand’s purpose-built electric vans, and it remains a fantastic small EV. It just works, with everything neatly integrated and simple to use even if it is the very first electric vehicle you’ve jumped into.
The Kangoo is unusual in that it has two different lengths but it is the longer model that is the one to go for due to its superior payload. Usually the bigger, and therefore heavier, a van is the less it can carry in terms of weight, but the Kangoo gets an upgraded rear axle that means the longer model is the stronger of the two and therefore the pick of the range.
To find out more, read the full Renault Kangoo E-Tech review
