The thick chrome strip on its nose may not suit everyone’s taste, otherwise there is little to discover about the new Maxus eDeliver 9 bar that does not meet the expectations for a large, electric van. Homework has been diligently done in China.
Importer Maxomotive from Amstelveen swears through country manager Lou Jedeloo that the new Maxus eDeliver 9 has nothing in common with the Ford Transit; there is no hidden collaboration in the widely-branched corporate structure of manufacturer SAIC. “The Chinese designers have just taken a good look around,” is the sober statement. And why not, because only if you give your eyes and ears a good living in Europe can you as a Chinese manufacturer have a chance here with a completely new, 100 percent electric delivery van. Two in fact, because the smaller eDeliver 3 has already been available for a few months, while the old EV80 is still available while stocks last. And although many other numbers fit between the 3 and the 9, Maxus is sticking with these two models for the time being, which it can deliver in different sizes.
Anchor out
The eDeliver 9 makes a great first impression; the exterior bumps, including the alleged Ford elements, neatly with what is common in the segment. Inside, the design is friendly and sufficiently modern, the materials are fine for a delivery van. Moreover, you never miss out if you are looking for modern amenities; the only version that Maxus delivers is the most luxurious. Where you can (or must) endlessly dress European models to your own taste, everything is already there. Only the adaptive cruise control was missing on the pre-production test car, which will be standard from June when a new batch of vehicles has arrived in the port of Antwerp. Neat. A grumpy ear will say that the steering wheel is made of hard plastic and not covered with leather and that the controls are not all grouped logically on the dashboard. Choosing between Eco or Sport as the driving program is done with large switches under the display, something like that you expect earlier with the selection lever of the transmission. The latter has the nice feature that you can determine the regeneration with it in three steps, a matter of giving the poker in a kind of sports position in addition to the D taps forward or backward. Works fine; at the strongest setting it seems like you are throwing an anchor when you let go of the power pedal.
Hooping
The steering is very indirect, so that you have to hoops in the city, but the rest is nice and quiet and the course stability is fine, you do not have to correct much at speed. The highway is of course not the true domain of a large EV customer; the battery may be up to 89 kWh (52 and 72 kWh is also possible), but the energy flows out at 100 km / h – its top speed – with approximately 40 kWh / 100 km, according to the on-board computer. With the largest battery on board, Maxus promises a range of 296 km (WLTP) and adds that with pure urban use, no less than 353 km is possible. Power and torque are in all cases 150 kW / 204 hp and 310 Nm, making the eDeliver 9 surprisingly smooth when empty. It is heavy (2,300 kg for the L2H2 with 52 kWh battery to 2,640 kg for the L3H2 with 89 kWh battery), leaving load capacities of 1,200 to 860 kg respectively. The highest value is fine, but the latter is something to take into account, even though the Maxus is not alone among the large, electric orderers. Plaster on the wound is that a braked trailer up to 1,500 kg is allowed on the towbar. The loading volumes are 9.7 to 12.5 cubic meters. A popular eDeliver 9 could also become the chassis cab (only 65 kWh), with which it can be used as a rigid truck; it is a configuration in which you cannot get the electric Volkswagen e-Crafter and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter from the factory (the Renault Master, for example, the Maxus is not completely alone). Charging is standard with the 3-phase AC (11 kWh), fast charging (DC) is possible with speeds from 52 kW to 80 kW; charging to 80 percent should be done in 45 minutes. Prices start at € 49,990, delivery will start from the end of June through 25 locations across the country.