Volkswagen’s Electric Crafter hitting the road in 2017

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles says its new e-Crafter van will be making urban deliveries for its European fleet customers in 2017.

Electric drive was incorporated into the design of the new generation Crafter from the initial concept according to Dr. Eckhard Scholz, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The current range of the e-Crafter is 200km but future technology and battery configuration could see this double to 400km says Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

“The first e-Crafter vehicles will be in customers’ hands by 2017,” says Scholz.

The company says the electric drive system has not changed the character of the new Crafter, and the concept vehicle offers payload capacity of 11.3 cubic metres and a maximum cargo space height of 1,961 millimetres.

The load width available between the wheel arches is 1,380 mm and the maximum cargo space length is 4,855 mm.

With a permitted total weight of 4.2 tonnes the concept vehicle is accelerated by the 100-kilowatt electric motor up to the maximum permitted speed of 80 km/h.

The maximum torque of 290 Newton metres from the electric drive, allows a maximum payload of 1,709 kilograms.

The concept vehicle’s battery pack, which is made up of 312 cells and has a total capacity of 43-kilowatt hours, is accommodated under the cargo space floor.

Depending on vehicle configuration, the battery unit enables a range of more than 200 km. Subject to charging current capacity, the batteries can also be charged back up to 80% in 45 minutes.

Reef Blue Metallic paintwork, matching painted bumpers and side protective strips and a blue bar on the radiator grille distinguishes the e-Crafter from its diesel siblings, and it also wears C-shape daytime running lights, a design feature of all Volkswagen electric vehicles.

The cockpit also differs from the diesel versions in that it has a ‘power meter’ in place of a rev counter, a leather steering wheel with blue decorative stitching and titanium black seats with blue trim.

The cargo space is set up for future challenges that the courier sector is facing, these elements, including ProSafe load-lashing system, Flex-Rack set-up, and Globelyst shelving system, come from fit out specialists Sortimo.

The e-Crafter concept vehicle showing at the IAA also incorporates a service bay, in which replacement batteries for cargo e-bikes can be stored and charged.