Volkswagen e-Crafter courier test: "Nice, but still too expensive" [Reader]

Reader Marcin wrote to us. He had the opportunity to test the Volkswagen e-Crafter as a courier vehicle delivering parcels to InPost parcel machines and to specific addresses. He liked the electric delivery car, but at a price of almost 339 PLN today the car seemed very unprofitable to him.

Our reader is a carrier providing InPost services. In July 2019, he used the car for a total of two days. According to him, the car was going to an address in the vicinity, but he also drove 123 kilometers, including about 50 percent on the expressway - and left 48 kilometers of range.

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In his opinion Cover VW e-Crafter in the technical data this does not look very optimistic (173 km NEDC), but it is quite feasible - the car consumed about 19 kWh per 100 km (190 Wh / km). Let's add that Battery capacity VW e-Crafter is 35,8 kWh, so we probably have about 32 kWh [www.elektrowoz.pl calculations based on VW e-Golf].

Mr. Marcin even ventured to declare that it would be possible to overcome 200 kilometers in the city alone:

VW e-Crafter, range: according to the information on the screen, the vehicle has driven 123 km and will cover another 48 km, which means that the actual range of the battery when working with a local courier is about 170 km (c) Reader Marcin

He liked the dynamics of the car, which, thanks to the electric motor (from VW e-Golf), was better than cars with diesel engines. He also liked the car's stability while driving, thanks to the heavy weight of the battery under the floor, high charging speeds and efficient energy recovery.

But the price disarmed him... Today our reader does not use an electric car, but hopes to make changes to the car fleet in the next two years. Unfortunately, this is relevant Price VW e-Crafter в PLN 338... Despite the fact that the cost of driving a car is several times lower than the cost of operating an internal combustion car, it is difficult to talk about the profitability of a purchase in such a situation ... The car is intensively used in the work of the courier, in addition, a number of premieres of new electricians will take place in the coming years, so The VW e-Crafter could lose a lot in price.

In addition, the Volkswagen electric car is offered only within the framework of traditional leasing, and our reader prefers a long-term lease that allows you to get the lowest possible installment plan.

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There is some inconsistency in the design of the e-Crafter. VW Crafter is a large, massive, fairly long-range car. Meanwhile, the electric version is a car primarily for local drives - of course, due to the battery and limited range. According to our reader, an electric drive would be better suited to a more delicate, usually courier vehicle like the Ford Transit Van. Ford has lighter weight, narrower wheels, better visibility, tighter turning radius...

The brakes of our reader were also a little disappointing. The Electric Crafter recovers energy well while driving, but it is difficult to refuse to use only recuperation. For example, there is no regulation of the intensity of the regenerative braking.

Conclusion? Despite his great intentions – since he reads www.elektrowoz.pl, these intentions are certain – Mr. Marcin will not venture into an electric courier vehicle. "But two years later, 99 percent YES."

Editor's note www.elektrowoz.pl: we publish the article because the information received from the reader is interesting. We think we weren't carried away by free car ads because we received very similar certifications from other people who have used the electric Volkswagen Crafter.

Note 2 from the editors www.elektrowoz.pl: the name belongs to the editors.

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