My car is knackered beyond reasonable repair.....plan was to drop to one car between us and get a new EV on lease.
We need a bigger one as pre and hopefully post Covid, I'm a musician and have a fair bit of gear to transport. EV's of that size are mainly out of our price range currently, so plan B is a cheap van for me to use. I think we need two vehicles anyway, as my gf is fairly reluctant to commute on her eBike (3km round trip ffs) Van would also be nice to chuck my bike in.
So, Partner/Berlingo/Connect size van. 2.5k budget really. What should I be looking at?
Bump ffs
How much kit do you have? Nissan have a electric van of that size out (NVe200?) that seems pretty good. My neighbour seems pleased with his anyway
Edit: Yeah, it's here: https://ev-database.uk/car/1117/Nissan-e-NV200-Combi
Van prices are crackers at the moment. £2.5k won't get you anything new/low mileage.
You would be looking at the smaller shape Berlingo/Partner, may be worth looking at the multispace as well as they tend to be a bit cheaper.
@Willard Range is fairly low on it isn't it?
For instance, my first gig booked post 19th July easing is 230 miles round trip. Gear weighs up to about 300kg from a rough calc
@northernmatt that's exactly the sort of thing that I had in mind. Fair trek to Glasgow though.
Any specific models/makes/engines to avoid. Appreciate that my budget will be something well over 10 years old. How big an issue is mileage?
Apparently the 1.9D is rough as balls. I'm not sure on the 1.6TD or 2.0TD. I don't think your budget would stretch to one with the newer 1.6HDi engine. I'm not too clued up on the older models. If you do manage to find one with the HDi engine make sure it's had the oil changed religiously and had belts done. If it's ever had a replacement turbo don't buy it.
There's a pretty good owners group on facebook where people know a lot more about the older ones.
edit: wouldn't worry too much about mileage as long as it's been looked after. Mine is on 106k and has never missed a beat. Only expenditure has been wear and tear items.
@Tom-B such is the EV life. Smaller van == smaller battery capacity. This is new tech and there will always be compromises. It was also the first "small" van that came to min when you said Partner/Connect size.
It was also the first “small” van that came to min when you said Partner/Connect size.
The e-Partner/berlingo is nearly out, specs up on the citroen site etc...
They're not in my 2.5k budget though unfortunately.
Apologies if your GF has mobility issues, but are you saying she insists on driving for a 3km round trip? A mile each way, basically?
If so, I'd respectfully suggest that she's part of the problem.
Back to the subject of vans, the Berlingo and variants seems the best bet in terms of getting something halfway decent. Medium-sized vans would be a bit too much of a gamble at that budget IMO.
Car versions potentially better VFM, with the vans too in-demand from delivery drivers?
You've got it spot on Cha****ng!
I've been dropping her off at work, so obviously it's a faff having to plan around that. The big issue is that her commute to work is on an unlit country road and she works anti social hours (wedding co ordinator) She just doesn't want to do the ride home at 1am for a number of reasons, which I do get....just fairly annoying.
I like the idea of a Berlingo Multispace I think.
I've had vans and worked around others with vans for nearly 30 years, my experience of older commercials, has been bare minimum to keep them running/ road legal and when they were newer they were hammered senseless.
Plywood screwed straight to the floors to get the rust going nicely.
They never get treated the same as a car in garages, screwdriver marks from removing body parts, it's only a van.
I'd not want an old van myself.
The last time I gave this opinion on here, it was strongly denied by folks who had bought a nice cheap van so I must be wrong.
Plus you'd get a much better estate car for 2.5k and it won't be a van.
The e-Partner/berlingo is nearly out
South West Water have had e partners for years
https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/peugeot/partner-electric-2017/
If you were looking at a lease E-car, why not get a lease E-van instead?
Most manufacturers are doing full E vans now, in most size classes.
I really like the look of the dispatch/expert from PSA group.
https://www.parkers.co.uk/vans-pickups/news/2020/peugeot-e-expert-electric-van/
and 3km? An Ami would be a luxury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mvwa11kLgY&ab_channel=Engadget
Thats twizzy territory!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIECtqau78g&ab_channel=AutoTrader
Definately Berlingo/Partner/Kangoo car - probably the only 'van' you'll get for that kind of money.
Something like this? No VAT to worry about on cars?
I don't think that my gf will go for having a van as our only vehicle, I had vaguely broached the subject before but it was a no!
could you get something like a ford galaxy and take the rear seats out?
My dad had a Berlingo 'car' but usually had all the seats out most of the time. Older 1.9D that's slow but bombproof.
I know someone that's bought an old Transit connect and is busy tarting it up as a bike transport/mini camper (for him). Well within budget, but it's finding one that isn't knackered.
Yeah the Connects that I've seen all look ****ed!!
What about a Ford Galaxy? Nicer place to be than a van, will happily drive many many miles. With the seats down it's pretty big inside. can find some 10yold ones with a bit over 100k on them.
Most manufacturers are doing full E vans now, in most size classes.
How do the payloads and towing capacity compare?
LGV is an area I can see is going to be hard but to crack for battery technology and I don't think battery power is really the one to be pursuing for this use case.
Skoda roomster? Back seats come out…
Maybe left field but...Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.
Rearmost seats are completely flat and you can remove the 3 individual 2nd row seats too if you need to. They are comfy, frugal in 1.6hdi, and mahoosive inside
There's 22 on autotrader in budget
