Cop that Benz! Chinese LDV eDeliver 7 electric delivery van undercut Mercedes e-Vito by a cool $30,000

The 2024 LDV eDeliver 7 all-electric delivery van has landed in Australia and instantly become one of the most affordable ways for companies to go electric as it is priced from $59,990 plus on-roads for registered ABN holders.

Aimed squarely at the fiercely competitive mid-size (2.5-3.5t) van segment that remains dominated by the combustion-powered Toyota HiAce (with the LDV G10 in second place), the new LDV eDeliver 7 will sit in the same niche that currently is only occupied by the Mercedes-Benz eVito that costs $30,000 more.

Ensuring it covers all bases, LDV has decided to introduce four variants and two battery options from launch.

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There’s also a short and long wheelbase option, as well as a high-roof body.

In comparison Mercedes only offers one low roof medium-wheelbase 5.1-metre-long e-Vito.

The cheapest LDV variant is priced from the headline $59,990 and comes with the 5.0m-long short-wheelbase (SWB) with the Low Roof and 77kWh battery.

If that doesn’t offer enough space the 5.4m-long wheelbase (LWB) Low Roof costs $61,990. If range is an issue, LDV offers a larger 88kWh powerpack with the LWB Low Roof ($64,990) and a LWB High Roof 88kWh ($66,990).

Cleverly, the battery pack is mounted beneath the floor of the eDeliver 7 and has minimal impact on its load-lugging potential.

The SWB Low Roof van offers a load volume of 5.9 cubic metres and a payload of 1350kg compared to the LWB Low Roof’s 6.7 cubic metres and 1289kg payload. Payload drops to 1205kg when fitted with the bigger battery pack.

The range-topping LWB High Roof will swallow 8.7 cubic metres but has the lowest payload of the range at 1175kg.

If that’s not enough space, LDV already offers a larger-still eDeliver 9 large van, although that’s priced from $116,537, plus on-roads.

Whichever battery you choose all versions come with a 150kW/330Nm electric motor that drives the front wheels and provides for a range of between 318km and 362km, depending on variant.

Capable of being DC charged at a rate of up to 78kW, a 20-80 per cent top up is claimed to take 43-minutes. A slower AC charge takes from eight hours to 9.3 hours.

To help offset its high price of admission over a typical diesel van the eDeliver 7 gets free adaptive cruise control (with Stop&Go capability), heated steering wheel, keyless entry/start, a 12.3-inch touch-screen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, three drive modes (Eco, Normal, Power) and parking sensors.

Boosting comfort there’s a driver’s seat that can be adjusted for height and gets both lumbar support and a driver’s armrest.

Headline safety gear includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), front collision warning, emergency lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

Like the bigger eDeliver 9 the new electric mid-size delivery van comes with LDV’s five-year/160,000km factory warranty and an eight-year /250,000km battery warranty, plus two years/30,000km servicing intervals.

LDV says it will soon announce full retail pricing, but it’s worth pointing out it still commands a sizeable premium over the core combustion-powered LDV G10+ and V80 that are priced from $37,000 to $47,000.

The LDV eDeliver 7 is just the second van to occupy the merging mid-size electric van, alongside the eVito (from $91,051). But later this year the segment will be bolstered by the debut of the Ford E-Transit Custom. Pricing has yet to be announced for the Blue Oval’s zero-emission delivery van but it’s thought it will be priced closer to its Benz opposition, rather than the cut-price LDV.