LeasePlan and SAIC Mobility Europe, a division of China’s largest vehicle manufacturer SAIC, are working together on a plan to bring SAIC’s Maxus zero emission electric LCVs to the market in Europe.

The memorandum of understanding centres on the Maxus EV80, as well as new line extensions, and Leaseplan claims it will be the first large full electric LCV on offer.

Tex Gunning, chief executive of LeasePlan, said: “Today, there are hardly any LCVs on the market that can meet the increasing demand for last-mile delivery in a sustainable way. Our new partnership with SAIC will enable us to serve the growing need for zero emission LCVs – and at a competitive total cost of ownership compared to ICE vans.

“Making the transition to an electric fleet is one of the easiest ways for businesses to lower their emissions and to help tackle climate change. LeasePlan is fully committed to making it as easy as possible for all our customers to start electric.”

Operational leasing services provided by LeasePlan for the Maxus LCVs will include configuration and customisation, finance, insurance, fleet management, repair, maintenance, tyres and remarketing.

Pieter Gabriëls, managing director of SAIC Mobility Europe, said: “Securing this new agreement with LeasePlan, a world leader in car-as-a-service, underlines the demand for the EV80, as well as the robust business plan for Europe which we are now putting in place.”

LeasePlan will provide Maxus electric LCV customers with end-to-end charging infrastructure, as well as access to a network of 75,000 charging points through LeasePlan’s existing partnership with Allego.

The Maxus EV80 van can be configured as a chassis-cab, standard panel van, high panel van, passenger bus or wheelchair-accessible formats.

EV80s are equipped with a plug-in powertrain and high-capacity LifePo4 Lithium-ion battery that give the vehicle a range of up to 200km (depending on configuration) and a charging time of two hours while using a DC charger. The Maxus EV80 also offers AC charging as standard.

The standard panel van features a cargo area length of 3,300 mm, width of 1,770 mm and height of 1,710 mm (1,920 mm height with the high-roof variant), resulting in a total volume of 10.2 m3 (11.5 m3 for the high-roof variant), accessible through wide-opening rear and side doors.

The maximum payload capacity is 950 kg (915 kg for the high-roof model). The chassis cab model can be built up to the exact specifications of the customer.