Best Small Electric Vans on the Market

The best small electric vans for sale and hire

Looking for the best small electric van for your business? You’re in luck. Of all electric van types, small electric vans are flooding the market. And there’s never been a better time to get one. The UK government offers up to £5,000 in grants for businesses wanting to buy a small electric van on the plug-in grant scheme.

Which small electric van is best for your company will depend on a few factors:

• Range
• Charge time
• Payload
• Budget

Since electric vans typically have a higher price tag than diesel vans, government funding makes purchasing an electric van more appealing. We’ve also seen an uptake in businesses choosing long term vehicle hire to get a small electric van without suffering the downsides of buying.

Our guide analyses the best small electric vans in the UK on the market right now for sale and hire. Considering an EV for your business? Here are your top options.

Mercedes-Benz eVito

• Payload: 749 – 807kg
• Range: 160 – 162 miles
• Top speed: 120 mph
• Price: from £43,600 

The eVito is one of the more expensive vans on our list, but for its size, the eVito gives you a good range and payload without sacrificing speed. If you need a van with a light payload to get across the motorways and city streets, the eVito is one of the best small electric vans to choose from.

While other vans offer a longer range, the eVito gives you a solid charging time with only 6 hours needed on a 7kW wall box charger. A rapid charger upgrade is available, so you can get up to full in 35 minutes. We’ve found that the eVito is one of the best for getting you around city streets because of its 360 Nm torque. If you need a dependable van to handle a payload and city driving conditions, the eVito is an excellent choice.

The one downside of the eVito is the higher price tag. The Mercedes electric van is one of the best small-medium electric vans. But that doesn’t mean it has to be out of your price range. Long term vehicle hire means you get the right van for the job without breaking the bank. 

Want to see if the eVito is the best van for you? Check out our quote tool to see if you’re a match.

Nissan e-NV200

• Payload: 705 kg
• Range: 124 miles
• Top speed: 76 mph
• Price: from £27,855

The diesel Nissan NV200 might be scrapped, but the electric version is still going strong. While the Nissan’s average range is a lot less than others on this list if you stick to city conditions you can go up to 187 miles. Like its competitor the Renault ZOE, you can charge up to full-on a 7 kW wall box in approximately 7.5 hours and rapid charge in about 30-50 minutes. We recommend the Nissan for businesses and sole traders that have a predictable route, especially those in the city. If you’re looking for a longer range, you might want to consider a different small electric van.  

The 705 kg is decent for the Nissan’s size. If you care more about carrying capacity size, the Nissan can be a good pick. The small van has a capacity of 4.2 cubic metres, putting in on the larger range of the best small electric vans for sale and company hire.  

Renault ZOE

• Payload: 387 kg
• Range: 240 – 245 miles
• Top speed: 84 – 87 mph
• Price: from £29,240

The Renault ZOE is an interesting option. The ZOE is a car-derived van. It’s the only 100% completely electric car-derived van available right now in the UK market. If you’re after a compact van, this is as small as it gets. The ZOE also has the smallest payload on our list, but if that’s all you need then this little van will fit you perfectly.  

From a wall box charger of 7kW, the ZOE will charge in around 9 hours and 25 minutes so you can leave it to charge overnight. From a rapid charger of 50kW, you’re looking at a respectable 45 minutes to get up to 80%. Thanks to the ZOE’s long-range, you won’t need to charge up as often compared to some other EVs. This combined with its compact size makes the ZOE a nice choice if you’re in an area without many charging points and only need a small van.  

Vauxhall Combo-e Cargo

• Weight: 1566 kg
• Payload: 721 – 803 kg
• Range: up to 171 miles
• Top speed: 84 mph
• Price: from £32,377

From a wall box, the Vauxhall Combo-e Cargo will charge in about 7.5 hours to 100% which is faster than the Renault ZOE. If you plan to charge up overnight, this small electric van is one of the best picks for you. What about rapid charging? You’ll need a 100 kw charger to charge up in 30 minutes. With a range of 171 miles, the Combo-e Cargo certainly isn’t a bad choice if you’re going short-medium distances.  

One nice thing about the Combo-e Cargo is that the battery is based in the floor, so it takes up no extra room so you can load up without any wasted space. For sole traders with a light-medium payload, the Vauxhall Combo-e Cargo is one of the best small electric vans out there on the market.  

Toyota Proace City Electric

• Weight: 1584 kg
• Payload: 1016 kg
• Range: 168 miles
• Top speed: 99 – 115 mph
• Price: from £29,483

One of the biggest appeals of the Toyota Proace is the company’s dedication to customer service when you purchase. There’s little that beats the reassurance of a 10-year warranty, though it does mean you’re stuck with the asset if you want to keep that level of service.  

The Toyota Proace costs more than some of the other best small electric vans, but the van does live up to its name. You’ll find the Proace works best in city conditions, where its nifty quick turns and sharp performance can shine.  

Like many of the latest electric vans, the Proace does come with three driving modes (Eco, Normal, and Performance) so you can customise your driving experience and maximise your range. Most of the time, though, we recommend sticking to Normal as the Eco mode only pushes out a little more range to squeeze out your battery as much as it can.  

Should you buy or hire a small electric van?

Purchasing an Electric van can be a good choice if you’d like a permanent van for your business. But there are some downsides.  

• High upfront cost: electric vans tend to have a higher price tag than small diesel vans.
• Upgraded models: some businesses want to upgrade when brands release a newer model but are stuck with the vans they have.
• Decreasing value: overtime, all vehicle assets decrease in value. Buying a depleting asset isn’t an easy financial choice.

Because of these downsides, we recommend companies choose long term hire. With electric vehicle hire, your fleet gains all the benefits of having an electric van without any of the usual downsides of purchasing.  

Finding the right van and provider isn’t easy. There are so many amazing small electric vans out there! We make the process easy. Use our quote tool to find your small electric van for hire.