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Fiat's E-Scudo calls itself a van for true professionals, this the Italian brand's interpretation of the mid-sized full-electric design shared by other Stellantis Group models. Here though, it's backed by an IVECO service network far better suited to demanding commercial needs. If the current state of commercial vehicle EV technology makes sense for you in this sector, it's quite a convincing proposition.
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Background
The design of vans may increasingly these days be very much the same but the dealer network and servicing support you get from different brands still differs widely. So you need to think beyond the test drive and spec sheet figures. Do that if you're in search of a 1.0-tonne-payload mid-sized electric van and there's just a chance your enquiries could lead you to this one, the Fiat E-Scudo, here usefully improved.
The Scudo nameplate is unlikely to be that familiar. It was reintroduced to the Fiat Professional van range in 2022 after a gap of six years, during which the company's mid-sized models were badged 'Talento'. The Scudo model line's return came as its maker reverted to the shared EMP2 Stellantis Group platform, which means there could also be an all-electric version, this E-Scudo.
But it also meant this full-battery LCV had to compete against three near-identical Stellantis Group models with different badges - the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the Citroen e-Dispatch and the Peugeot E-Expert, plus another near-identical model, the Toyota Proace Electric. From that list, the E-Scudo, even in this improved form that arrived in Spring 2024, might not initially be your first pick if prices were similar. But unlike its rivals, it comes with the advantage of backing from a dealer network designed for commercials, rather than cars; many of the franchises are also in sister brand IVECO's network of service centres. That could be significant.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 37605 | 41080 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 84 | 84 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 194 | 194 |
| Length (mm) | 4956 | 4956 |
| Width (mm) | 1920 | 1920 |
| Min | Max |
| Height (mm) | 1890 | 1890 |
| Load Volume (l) | 5 | 6 |
| Payload Capacity (l) | 1000 | 1226 |
| Power (ps) | 136 | 136 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 270 | 270 |
Driving experience
The E-Scudo van now comes with just one battery choice - a 75kWh unit now able to take this LCV up to 230 miles on a charge. If you're wondering what driving a full-electric mid-sized van might be like, well, there's not too much to get your head around. You turn the key in the ignition, wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows drivers to switch between 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Power' modes.
The 'Normal' setting restricts you to 109PS and will feel a bit like driving a lower capacity diesel. 'Eco' mode restricts you further to 81.5PS and reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning and other accessories. If you want the full 136PS of the electric motor, selecting 'Power' mode unlocks it. There's also a gearshift selector 'B' option that ploughs extra regenerated energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph.
Testers who'd found the sheer size of some other mid-sized LCVs in this segment a little daunting when dealing with narrow country lanes and squeezing through gaps in the traffic were, we found, much more easily able to acclimatise to a Scudo with its car-like driving position. The bonnet's set quite high, but the nose has a squared-off shape that we've found during our testing programme makes this Fiat easy to place in tight urban situations. There's a kerb-to-kerb turning circle of 12.4-metres. And ride quality is a strong point, thanks to load adaptive variable damping shock absorbers, a system which varies the damping with the vehicle's ride height.
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Design and build
Unlike the diesel variant, the E-Scudo is built at Hordain in France, alongside it's Stellantis Group electric LCV stablemates. This revised version gets updated front styling and top models gain redesigned LED headlights, plus there's a fresh colour option - 'Colosseo Grey II'. As before, apart from the badge work, there's little to set this full-electric Scudo apart from its diesel-engined stablemates. As with the combustion models, there's a choice of short wheelbase 'L1' or long wheelbase 'L2' variants, but Fiat doesn't offer a high roof option with either powertrain. Visually, it looks pretty similar to its design stablemates the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the Citroen Dispatch and the Toyota Proace, but to differentiate the Scudo, there's a Fiat-specific front grille, which is flanked by the swept-back headlamps.
Inside, it's all pretty identical to the Scudo diesel, which in this revised model means a refurbished dashboard with a digital instrument display and a now-larger 10-inch central infotainment touchscreen. As for E-Scudo changes over the diesel, well the gear lever gets replaced by a drive selector and, next to it, a rocker switch for clicking between the various driving modes. In the instrument binnacle, in place of the usual righthand rev counter you get a Power Meter with 'Eco', 'Charge' and 'Power' sections.
As in any ordinary Scudo, there's quite a low seating position (for a van), with plenty of seat and wheel adjustment. As usual in this class, a three-person bench seat is fitted and on plusher variants there's a load-through bulkhead flap so that longer items can be pushed through from the cargo area. That load-through feature also allows the passenger seat to fold forward so the backrest can lay flat to create a handy work surface.
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Market and model
As with other Stellantis Group mid-sized EV vans, E-Scudo LCV pricing starts at around £37,000 (exc VAT and OTR charges) after deduction of the £5,000 Government Plug-in Van Grant and this LCV is available as a van or a crew cab or as a short wheelbase chassis cab. You'll be choosing between 'Standard' or 'Primo' levels of spec. There's only now a single 75kWh battery option.
All E-Scudo van models are decently equipped, the standard spec including manual air conditioning, daytime running lights and rear parking sensors. Media connectivity includes 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. Fiat hasn't forgotten a proper full-sized steel spare wheel, 12V sockets in both cabin and load area and an alarm either. For the cab, there's a driver's seat with height, rake, reach and lumbar adjustment, plus a full steel bulkhead. Other key features on entry level 'Scudo' trim include selective door locking, an advance emergency braking system and driver attention alert level 3.
The main reason you'd want to stretch to plusher 'Primo' spec is to get the useful 'Moduwork' package which gives you a fold-up middle seat, a fold-down writing table in the centre seat back and storage under the passenger bench. Plus a useful load-through flap under the outer passenger seat into the cargo area. 'Primo' spec also upgrades you with front fog lamps and power-folding mirrors. Plus there's a Dynamic Surround View camera system, with a digital rear view mirror and lateral side view, along with front and rear park assist and flankguard detection of fixed obstacles.
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Summary
There's quite a lot to like here. As we've seen with Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Toyota versions of this same all-electric design, the E-Scudo is as class-competitive as you can currently get in the important areas of driving range, practicality and running costs for a mid-sized EV van of this kind.
As we said earlier, what we think sets it apart is the Fiat Professional service centre back-up, especially where it's shared with an IVECO network based around the much more demanding logistical needs of mission-critical large HGVs. The chances are your business is simply going to be looked after better than by a dealership that only specialises in cars. If Fiat Professional could complete the proposition by offering here the same opportunity for up to 10 years of warranty coverage that you can get with a comparable Toyota Proace Electric, we'd have no hesitation in making the E-Scudo our top pick in this class. As it is, it gets very close to that.
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