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By Jonathan Crouch

The DFSK EC35 offers an interesting value and practicality proposition if you're seeking a small electric van. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 53

What might the UK's cheapest electric van be like? Your expectations might not be high, but could be exceeded by this Chinese contender, the DFSK EC35. There are some drawbacks for the price, but it's small outside, yet big on cargo space - and priced like a diesel. Could be worth a look.

Backgroundword count: 155

Do you get what you don't pay for? We're about to find out in our review of a small electric van that's cheaper and more spacious in the back than many diesel models. Welcome to the DFSK EC35. The DFSK (Dong Feng Sokon) Chinese brand has been around in the UK for over a decade, but you probably won't have heard of it because the numbers imported of the single product it sold were tiny. That model was the Loadhopper, a petrol-powered LCV which was one of those small, tall city vans originally designed for the Far Eastern urban metropolis. The EC35 continues that theme into the electric era and makes good on the promise that mainstream brands talk about but rarely deliver - an electric van for the price of a diesel one. It's imported here by UK firm Innovation Automotive, formed by ex-Mitsubishi management staff. Who here have delivered rather an interesting proposition.

Driving Experienceword count: 366

This is a city van and it's definitely not at home beyond the urban sprawl. Approach it in that frame of mind and you shouldn't mind too much that the dinky 39kWh battery won't take you particularly far. Range is quoted at 166 miles - and that's only if you get the version limited to just 50mph; the alternative variant limited to a more acceptable 65mph can take you only 101 miles. Not that you'll be able to verify any of this because there's no mileage range display on the dashboard; just a percentage indicator showing the battery's remaining energy reserve. Apart from that, there are two curious engineering features for a light van. One is the ladder-framed platform this DFSK sits on - the sort of thing you'd normally find under-pinning a pick-up truck. The other is the fact that the electric motor here (which puts out 80hp) drives the rear wheels, not the front ones. The other area of uniqueness is rather more concerning; this is one of the only vehicles now sold in our market without any sort of stability control system. That's only possible because this EC35 is going through Small Series Type Approval, rather than the Large Scale Type Approval process larger brands have to meet. If this van will be doing any sort of out-of-town delivery work at all, that may well put you off. And if it doesn't, a drive in an EC35 around a few country lanes will certainly put you off. The combination of the tall body, slim tyres and the bouncy ride from the crude leaf-sprung rear suspension isn't a good one for traction and grip. But if this DFSK will only be used in town, then none of this may matter much. On the move, the EC35 (like many vans) is far better off with a bit of load in the back. Apparently there's 200Nm of torque, but 62mph from rest (should you have a version able to reach this heady speed) takes over 20 seconds. At low speeds of up to 20mph, there's a loud warning noise alerting pedestrians, which is normal for an EV but this particular sound is high-pitched and quite intrusive.

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