Fiat's E-Doblo is a small EV van with big ideas, as Jonathan Crouch finds out.
If you think switching to electric with a small van will save money for your business in the long term, then you'll want one that'll be well looked after. Fiat's E-Doblo might well fit the bill. And there are few practical compromises over the diesel version.
Small vans are of big importance when it comes to reducing smog in our cities. With other sizes of LCV, you can see why for many operators diesel still makes sense. Small vans though, less troubled by the issues of payload and range which trip up EV vans in other categories, ought to be electric. If you run a few in your fleet but you're still wedded to the black pump, then possibly you're just waiting for the right proposition to come along. Maybe this could be it - Fiat's E-Doblo. Historically, the Doblo model line's been Fiat through and through, but the current generation version, launched here in mid-2022, is a platform-shared Stellantis Group design. Which means it's essentially the same thing as a Citroen e-Berlingo, a Peugeot e-Partner or a Vauxhall Combo Electric; the Toyota Proace City Electric's the same too. Which means that apart from the badging, the differences here lie in value, service support and warranty. As we'll see, these are significant.
One day in the not-too-distant future, you won't be able to acquire a new van of this size with a combustion engine and if you want that day to come a bit sooner, then this E-Doblo is ready to oblige. It uses a 100kW motor driving the front wheels and powered by a 50kWh battery, which when fully charged can take the E-Doblo 173 miles (2 miles more than an e-Partner or an e-Berlingo). As usual with this powertrain, there are three driving modes, 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Power'. You won't want to spend too long in 'ECO', unless you really are eeking out battery capacity because it reduces the powertrain's normal 134bhp output to just 80bhp and also restricts the climate system to conserve power. Fiat recommends that you do most of your driving in the 'Normal' setting, which increases the motor output to 107bhp. The top 'Power' mode isn't really intended for sporty driving but for situations when you're carrying heavy loads. The powertrain also has a 'B' setting which increases the level of regenerative braking to a point where the van slows so much when you come off throttle that you'll very rarely need to use the brake, unless you're coming to a complete stop. You need that B setting to get anywhere near the official driving range figure. As with all electric vehicles, this one has a bit of a weight problem - that drivetrain adds over 300kgs of bulk, but that arguably helps the E-Doblo when it comes to ride quality; you'll feel things like speed humps keenly, but at speed on the open road, it handles tarmac tears a little better than its diesel cousin. This e-Berlingo feels really at home in an urban environment and you'll feel really confident in it because the steering is light and the suspension deals with poorer surfaces quite well. The rest to 62 mph sprint takes 11.7s and the top speed is restricted to just 81mph, so this EV won't be as good as its diesel counterpart for extended motorway runs.
There are few outward signs that this is an EV van - unless you spot the badging or the charging socket. This E-Doblo might be a re-badged version of an existing Stellantis Group small LCV design but at least from the front end, it doesn't look it. The nose gives this van its own sense of urban style, with Fiat's latest retro brand badge where you'd normally expect the grille to be: cooling is taken care of by a large intake lower down. As you'd expect, there are long and short wheelbase van and 5-seater Crew Cab versions. Sadly though, there's no option for the kind of high roof variant that was so useful to operators with the previous generation Doblo Cargo. Inside, the dash and instrument layout is of course as you'll find it with this model's other Stellantis cousins. You'll like the 'Magic Cargo' feature, which enables the van to carry up to three people in the front seats or, alternatively, increase the cargo area's length and loading volume. The passenger-side seat can be raised and the compartment underneath used for boxes or fragile items. On the E-Doblo, one neat touch, unique at launch, is the 'Magic Plug', which makes it possible to use the battery energy to power tools or other electrical appliances. The 8-inch centre touchscreen comes with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. There is no lack of storage space in the cab: 16 storage points according to Fiat, these including a 15-litre area in the centre console.
After deduction of the available £2,500 Plug-in van grant, Fiat wants around £28,500 from you for this E-Doblo excluding VAT and on the road charges. This is about the same as you'd pay for a Citroen e-Berlingo, but it undercuts another Stellantis Group shared design cousin, the Vauxhall Combo Electric, by around £1,500. Think in terms of this electric Doblo costing you around £10,000 than the comparable diesel version. There's a choice of 'Standard' or plusher 'Primo' levels of trim. The base price just quoted is for the short wheelbase L1 version. It's probably worth stretching to the long wheelbase L2 variant, which only costs £755 more. There's also a Crew Van variant with a second fold-out seating row, available with both levels of trim from around £31,000- ex VAT after grant deduction. Both levels of trim include quite a lot. You can tick off a near-side sliding side door (with an off-side one too in the L2 version); plus air conditioning and an 8-inch centre infotainment touchscreen with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. You also get cruise control, a colour 3.5-inch multi-information instrument binnacle display, Bluetooth, a DAB audio system and door mirrors that are heated and power adjustable. 'Primo' trim gets you a 'Visibility Pack' with automatic wipers, heated and powered folding mirrors and front fog lights. With 'Primo' trim, Fiat also includes its 'Moduwork' system which allows you to push through items from the cargo bay into the cab and fold down the passenger seat to create a handy table. Across the range, there are two USB ports in the cab and your dealer will offer you accessories like rubber floor mats and ply lining for the load space.
The dimensions are perfectly in line with the segment, with a length of 4,403mm for the short wheelbase L1 version, ensuring an optimum effective usable length of 1.81m and a 3.3m3 capacity, sufficient to accommodate two Euro pallets. There are two slide-opening side doors on the L2 (one on the L1) and with both body styles, the usual twin side-hinged rear doors that open to 180 degrees. Plus the payload is up to one tonne - the same as the diesel version. The long wheelbase L2 version, which is 4,753mm long, provides even greater load capacity - 3.9m3. Yet more space can be freed up with the clever 'Magic Cargo' feature. This uses a folding front passenger bench to add an extra 0.4m3, while also increasing the maximum load length by 1.3m. Payload across the range is up to 1,000kgs. And there's a 1.5-tonne towing capability that's un-bettered in the class. We gave you the range figure - 171 miles - in our 'Driving' section: bear in mind that with any extended high-speed driving, you'll see that figure plummet very quickly. You can charge the 50kWh battery from a 100kW public rapid charger from 0-80% in 30 minutes. When connected to a 7kW garage wallbox, you'll need seven and a half hours to fully replenish the battery; or five hours with an 11kW wallbox. This Fiat can't match the 10 year warranty cover you get on a comparable Toyota Proace City Electric but you can extend the usual 3 year/60,000 mile warranty to five years with Fiat Professional's optional '555' package, which also gives you roadside assistance and servicing for that period. The battery gets separate cover up that promises to retain up to 70% of its capacity over 8 years or 100,000 miles. On all Doblos, maintenance schedules are up to 25,000 miles/two years.
The E-Doblo arrived rather late to this particular segment but that delay gave Fiat time to position its value and warranty package closer to the needs of likely operators. If you can get your dealer to throw in that '555' five year warranty package, then you'll get a standard of after-sales cover that could really swing you this LCV's way. Also significant is the fact that quite a few Fiat Professional dealers also look after IVECO trucks, so they're better versed in the needs of commercial operators than a dealership primarily specialising in cars would be. As for the E-Doblo itself, well the driving range and practicality stats are competitive. And prices match the class standard - which is still further above diesel engine levels than it ought to be. If you're ready to make the EV switch for this class of van though, this one makes more sense than most.
Primo 100kW 50kWh H1 Van Primo Auto
