Review: 2023 Maxus eDeliver 3 - Accomplished EV van, but does it make business sense?

Light commercial vans form the bedrock of logistics for small-time businesses and SMEs. Vans deliver everything from our parcels to food stock and everything in between.

Most SMEs and small businesses also operate on specific daily routes in the city and require steadfast utility and efficiency to reduce operational costs. When you put 2-and-2 together, you can surmise that a battery-electric (BEV) commercial van can make a lot of business sense.

However, realistically speaking, your neighbourhood pasar malam grocer isn't going to buy one over a trusty Nissan NV200, but what if a corporate company wanted to radically improve its 'ESG scores' and run an entire zero-emissions fleet, then look no further. 

Enter the 2023 Maxus eDeliver 3 (eD3) – one of two EV vans currently on sale in Malaysia, which for all intents and purposes is a great van but is it an accomplished EV? Let’s take a closer look.

Overview

Maxus or SAIC-Maxus is a light commercial vehicle subsidiary of China’s state-owned SAIC motors, the largest automaker in China. Through its established local partner Weststar Maxus, the brand has established a surefooted presence in Malaysia for its G10 MPV, T60 pickup truck and range of V80 commercial vans.

With substantial experience in the commercial and logistics industry, the eD3 is the first of two EV vehicles planned by Weststar Maxus for Malaysia, the other being a battery-electric alternative to the T60 pickup truck, which is slated for introduction towards the end of 2023.

Also read: Aussie's first EV pick-up truck, the LDV Maxus eT60 coming in Nov 2022; beating Hilux and Triton?

The Maxus eD3 is underpinned by a purpose-built EV platform that is made available here as a panel van, however, a longer chassis-cab version is also offered in other markets.

The eD3 is powered by a sole motor on the rear axle that develops 122 PS and 255 Nm. Power is drawn from a CATL-sourced 50.23 kWh Ternary Polymer Lithium battery located in the floor. A smaller 35 kWh battery is also offered in selected markets.

To keep weight down, the eD3’s body panels are mounted onto an aluminium monocoque frame. Various panels are made from aluminium alloys to further cut fat, and even the lightweight front hood is made from a polymer composite which can be completely removed from the body.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the Maxus eD3 specifications:

With its imminent launch slated for later this year, the Maxus eD3 has an indicative price tag of between RM 175,888 to RM 180,888.

Rivals

As far as commercial EV vans go, the only competitor to the Maxus eD3 is the DFSK EC35 panel van. However, the EC35 is smaller in size and only features a 38.7 kWh lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery, priced at RM 130k. Thus the eD3 is a superior product both in size, power, features and range.

With that said, perhaps the biggest question to be answered is if the eD3 can offer better overall value than other commonplace ICE-powered cargo vans such as the Toyota Hiace (~RM 113k) and Nissan NV350 (~RM 125k) which are similarly sized and have a proven track record of reliability and cost efficiency.

As we’ve mentioned, the eD3 will work for small businesses and SMEs whose logistics and travel mainly revolve around intracity logistics along repeated daily routes. Objectively then, it could work for F&B chains, service industry companies, corporate and even logistics companies.

Exterior

Featuring boxy proportions and a conventional hood-forward design, the eD3’s styling is very Euro-esque in nature, drawing more similarity to vans such as the Citroen Relay and Peugeot Boxer, and less of vans that we commonly see over here.

The smooth-ish front end of the eD3 is designed to be as aerodynamic as possible for better ‘fuel efficiency’ as are the large flat sides of the van.

Rather impressively, the eD3 features LED DRLs in the lower regions of the front bumper. Further up the charge port panel is located centrally on the front grille, which we found to be quite convenient when charging regardless of whether the EV charge pile was located on the left/right of the vehicle.

Another very unique offering of the eD3 is its split-opening rear doors, which can swivel outwards a full 180 degrees. This allows for the rear doors to be opened safely and easily in tight spaces and low-ceiling parking spots, compared to the upward-opening tailgate such as on the Toyota Hiace for example.

Interior

Though only a van, the interior of the eD3 is pretty commendable. With ample storage area and quite possibly the best seats we’ve ever sampled in a van (pinched from the Maxus T60), the eD3 offers a superbly accommodating and comfortable cabin space even over extended periods of time.

And this really makes a big difference for drivers who may have to spend 6-8 hours stuck in traffic every day.

Also read: Review: Is it Malaysia's best truck ever? No, but the 2022 Maxus T60 stretches your RM 115k further than rivals do

The eD3 also offers a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment screen equipped with wired Apple Carplay and QD Link screen mirroring – which admittedly, isn’t much to shout about in a car or SUV – but a pretty cool addition for a van.

Other notable features also include steering wheel controls, a reverse camera, rear parking sensors and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

The eD3 does lose some marks on the inside though crucially to the unavailability of an AC thermostat. The system works on a preset temperature which keeps the cabin at a rough 24-25 degrees (educated guess here) which is fine in the morning and evening hours but not so much with intense mid-day heat.

Thus, I found myself maxing out the blower speed just to keep the cabin cool, further using up battery juice. Though we surmise this wouldn’t be so much of an issue in colder climate markets, it might be a bugbear for eventual owners over here.

Additionally, while it may not be interior in the normal sense of the word – the eD3’s cargo hold offers substantial space for luggage and goods.

With a long 2,910 mm wheelbase and max-width (between wheel arches) of 1,330 mm, the eD3 can easily transport two Euro-sized wood pallets front to back. Plus with a max height of 1,330 mm, the eD3 offers a comparable roof height to the Toyota Hiace (at 1,335 mm).

That aside, the hard-wearing floor material and strategically placed floor latching points will make it easy to secure cargo at the back, and periodically clean as well.

Driving experience

Having driven the eD3 for about 400 km over the course of a few days – one thing becomes quite apparent. The eD3 is an easy van to get used to and drive.

The seat height and rake-adjustable steering wheel offer an adequately comfortable driving position whilst the pedal angle is almost pickup-like, reducing fatigue on your ankles over longer journeys.

Once on the move, the eD3 is smooth, power delivery from the electric motor is smooth and controlled enough that it’s easy to start off in traffic and build speed up on the highway. The eD3 settles into a cruise at around 80 km/h where things are decently composed.

However, if you demand it, the eD3 will accelerate up to 110 km/h with ease and provide adequate pulling power even if laden with the permissible 945 kg of cargo weight. The brakes are decent as well, offering nice modulation and good stopping power.

In conducting our commonplace 0-100 km/h testing – the eD3 delivered an impressive time of 11.81 seconds, beating even Maxus’ claimed time of 12 seconds for the century sprint.

Additionally, with no diesel or engine to hum away, the eD3 is also pretty quiet on the move. Wind noise aside, which becomes apparent near the side mirrors, the eD3 produced some decent noise level readings – which aren’t too far off from a pickup truck at speed.

If there’s one criticism with regard to driving the eD3, it’s the throttle pedal pressure. The accelerator requires quite of bit of pressure to operate, thus besides causing fatigue to your calves after a while, it makes it hard to modulate during energy recuperation. 

As it’s commonplace to modulate the accelerator pedal even when slowing down in Medium and High recuperation modes, it would be easier if the pedal wasn’t fighting your right foot to return to its default position.

Range and charging

The eD3 is equipped with a Type 2 CCS charger which supports AC charging of up to 7.5 kWh and DC fast charging of up to 62.9 kWh. A 100 percent AC charge takes up to 8 hours, a suitably fast AC charger will get the batteries from 20 - 80 percent in 45 minutes. 

In running our standard 'fuel economy' test – starting with 80 percent charge, we covered a distance 107.5 km which consumed about 39 percent of the battery, evenly mixed between city and highway driving. 

Topping the battery back up to 80 percent took approximately 27 minutes and required 18.7 kWh of charge. If we compute the numbers, the eD3 returns an impressive overall energy efficiency of 17.4 kWh/100 km. 

Keep in mind, that the eD3 was unladen with cargo, however, even if estimate an extra 30 percent of fuel usage with cargo, the eD3 should still return a reasonable 22.6 kWh/100 km, thus an overall range of approximately 250 km for a full charge is possible. 

Conclusion 

As opposed to passenger EV car buyers, commercial vehicles have to conform to an entirely different set of criteria. As opposed to power and technology, a commercial vehicle takes into account the overall price and value, maintenance costs and the associated returns over the lifespan of the vehicle. 

The eD3 proves to be as capable and usable as its ICE-engined competitors, and a well-designed cabin makes for an easy and comfortable vehicle to drive for extended hours, which is a crucial factor. 

However, the deciding criteria boils down to that 250 km of usable range, which determines if the eD3 is ultimately suitable for your business and logistical needs.

But as we've said, comparing it to a Toyota Hiace is a futile exercise. The eD3 belongs to a new genre of product that offers value beyond just being a commercial vehicle, in the form of improving ESG scores and introducing progressive electrification into a commercial fleet - and this makes perfect business sense as well.